Protocols for facilitating broader access in wireless communications

ABSTRACT

Structures and protocols are presented for signaling a status or decision concerning a wireless service or device within a region to a communication device (smartphone or wearable device, e.g.) or other wireless communication participant (motor vehicle having a wireless communication capability, e.g.).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to and/or claims the benefit of theearliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listedapplication(s) (the “Priority Applications”), if any, listed below(e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other thanprovisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e)for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent,grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the PriorityApplication(s)). In addition, the present application is related to the“Related Applications,” if any, listed below.

PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/839,536, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 15 Mar.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-017-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/908,658, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 3 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-018-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/908,687, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 3 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-019-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/908,713, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 3 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-020-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/908,738, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 3 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-021-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/931,147, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 28 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-022-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/931,236, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 28 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-023-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/931,285, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 28 Jun.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-054-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/954,516, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 30 Jul.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-055-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/954,574, entitled PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATINGBROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, naming Roderick A. Hyde;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud;Douglas O. Reudink; and Clarence T. Tegreene as inventors, filed 30 Jul.2013 with attorney docket no. 0213-003-056-000000, which is currentlyco-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to theeffect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent applicantsreference both a serial number and indicate whether an application is acontinuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parentapplication. Stephen G. Kunin, Benefit of Prior-Filed application, USPTOOfficial Gazette Mar. 18, 2003. The USPTO further has provided forms forthe Application Data Sheet which allow automatic loading ofbibliographic data but which require identification of each applicationas a continuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parentapplication. The present Applicant Entity (hereinafter “Applicant”) hasprovided above a specific reference to the application(s) from whichpriority is being claimed as recited by statute. Applicant understandsthat the statute is unambiguous in its specific reference language anddoes not require either a serial number or any characterization, such as“continuation” or “continuation-in-part,” for claiming priority to U.S.patent applications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicantunderstands that the USPTO's computer programs have certain data entryrequirements, and hence Applicant has provided designation(s) of arelationship between the present application and its parentapplication(s) as set forth above and in any ADS filed in thisapplication, but expressly points out that such designation(s) are notto be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission asto whether or not the present application contains any new matter inaddition to the matter of its parent application(s).

If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with thelistings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claimpriority to each application that appears in the Priority applicationssection of the ADS and to each application that appears in the Priorityapplications section of this application.

All subject matter of the Priority applications and the Relatedapplications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of the Priority applications and the Relatedapplications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein byreference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistentherewith.

If an Application Data Sheet (ADS) has been filed on the filing date ofthis application, it is incorporated by reference herein. Anyapplications claimed on the ADS for priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120,121, or 365(c), and any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of such applications, are also incorporated byreference, including any priority claims made in those applications andany material incorporated by reference, to the extent such subjectmatter is not inconsistent herewith.

Under the auspices of various alleged “rules” implementing the AmericaInvents Act (AIA), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)is purporting to require that an Attorney for a Client make variouslegal and/or factual statements/commentaries/admissions (e.g. Concerningany “Statement under 37 CFR 1.55 or 1.78 for AIA (First Inventor toFile) Transition Application”) related to written description/newmatter, and/or advise his Client to make such legal and/or factualstatements/commentaries/admissions. Attorney expressly points out thatthe burden of both alleging that an application contains new matter withrespect to its parent(s) and establishing a prima facie case of lack ofwritten description under 35 U.S.C. §112, first paragraph lies firmly onthe USPTO. Accordingly, and expressly in view of duties owed his client,Attorney further points out that the AIA legislation, while referencingthe first to file, does not appear to constitute enabling legislationthat would empower the USPTO to compel an Attorney to either make/advisesuch legal and/or factual statements/commentaries/admissions.Notwithstanding the foregoing, Attorney/Applicant understand that theUSPTO's computer programs/personnel have certain data entryrequirements, and hence Attorney/Applicant have provided adesignation(s) of a relationship between the present application and itsparent application(s) as set forth herein and in any ADS filed in thisapplication, but expressly points out that such designation(s) are notto be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission asto whether or not a claim in the present application is supported by aparent application, or whether or not the present application containsany new matter in addition to the matter of its parent application(s) ingeneral and/or especially as such might relate to an effective filingdate before, on, or after 16 Mar. 2013.

Insofar that the Attorney/Applicant may have made certain statements inview of practical data entry requirements of the USPTO should NOT betaken as an admission of any sort. Attorney/Applicant hereby reservesany and all rights to contest/contradict/confirm such statements at alater time. Furthermore, no waiver (legal, factual, or otherwise),implicit or explicit, is hereby intended (e.g., with respect to anystatements/admissions made by the Attorney/Applicant in response to thepurported requirements of the USPTO related to the relationship betweenthe present application and parent application[s], and/or regarding newmatter or alleged new matter relative to the parent application[s]). Forexample, although not expressly stated and possibly despite adesignation of the present application as a continuation-in-part of aparent application, Attorney/Applicant may later assert that the presentapplication or one or more of its claims do not contain any new matterin addition to the matter of its parent application[s], or vice versa.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to facilitating connectivity in wirelesscommunications.

SUMMARY

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining a first preference indicationeither of a first option or of a second option from a user of a firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associated with afirst currently-subscribed mobile device and signaling a decisionwhether or not to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device and signaling adecision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device asa first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption and signaling a decision whether or not to establish abidirectional communication as a second conditional response to whetheror not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device. Inaddition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining a firstpreference indication either of a first option or of a second optionfrom a user of a first currently-subscribed mobile device, an accountbeing associated with a first currently-subscribed mobile device andcircuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause aunidirectional communication as a conditional response to whether or notthe user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the first option between the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice and one or more communication devices that include a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and circuitry for signaling a decisionwhether or not to assign a communication cost component to the accountassociated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device as a firstconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption and circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not toestablish a bidirectional communication as a second conditional responseto whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice apparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device. Inaddition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining a first preference indicationeither of a first option or of a second option from a user of a firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associated with afirst currently-subscribed mobile device and signaling a decisionwhether or not to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device and signaling adecision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device asa first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption and signaling a decision whether or not to establish abidirectional communication as a second conditional response to whetheror not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device. Inaddition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining a first preference indication either of afirst option or of a second option from a user of a firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associated with afirst currently-subscribed mobile device and signaling a decisionwhether or not to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device and signaling adecision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device asa first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption and signaling a decision whether or not to establish abidirectional communication as a second conditional response to whetheror not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device. Inaddition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an identification of a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and obtaining an indication of anaccount associated with a first currently-subscribed mobile device andsignaling a decision whether or not to post a cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceconditionally, partly based on whether the first formerly-subscribedmobile device had access to wireless local area network (WLAN) serviceand partly based on a communication between the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include the first currently-subscribed mobile device. In additionto the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an identificationof a first formerly-subscribed mobile device and circuitry for obtainingan indication of an account associated with a first currently-subscribedmobile device and circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not topost a cost component to the account associated with the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device conditionally, partly based onwhether the first formerly-subscribed mobile device had access towireless local area network (WLAN) service and partly based on acommunication between the first formerly-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device. In addition to the foregoing, othersystem aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming apart of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an identification of a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and obtaining an indication of anaccount associated with a first currently-subscribed mobile device andsignaling a decision whether or not to post a cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceconditionally, partly based on whether the first formerly-subscribedmobile device had access to wireless local area network (WLAN) serviceand partly based on a communication between the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include the first currently-subscribed mobile device. In additionto the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are describedin the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the presentdisclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an identification of a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and obtaining an indication of anaccount associated with a first currently-subscribed mobile device andsignaling a decision whether or not to post a cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceconditionally, partly based on whether the first formerly-subscribedmobile device had access to wireless local area network (WLAN) serviceand partly based on a communication between the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include the first currently-subscribed mobile device. In additionto the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining a network access authorizationtemporarily associating a second mobile device with an accountassociated with the first mobile device and responding to aninterpersonal communication via the second mobile device by authorizinga communication service charge automatically and conditionally, partlybased on a hotspot network access being inadequate in a vicinity of thesecond mobile device and partly based on the network accessauthorization temporarily associating the second mobile device with theaccount associated with the first mobile device from the user of thefirst mobile device. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspectsare described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining a network accessauthorization temporarily associating a second mobile device with anaccount associated with the first mobile device and circuitry forresponding to an interpersonal communication via the second mobiledevice by authorizing a communication service charge automatically andconditionally, partly based on a hotspot network access being inadequatein a vicinity of the second mobile device and partly based on thenetwork access authorization temporarily associating the second mobiledevice with the account associated with the first mobile device from theuser of the first mobile device. In addition to the foregoing, othersystem aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming apart of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining a network access authorizationtemporarily associating a second mobile device with an accountassociated with the first mobile device and responding to aninterpersonal communication via the second mobile device by authorizinga communication service charge automatically and conditionally, partlybased on a hotspot network access being inadequate in a vicinity of thesecond mobile device and partly based on the network accessauthorization temporarily associating the second mobile device with theaccount associated with the first mobile device from the user of thefirst mobile device. In addition to the foregoing, other computerprogram product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining a network access authorizationtemporarily associating a second mobile device with an accountassociated with the first mobile device and responding to aninterpersonal communication via the second mobile device by authorizinga communication service charge automatically and conditionally, partlybased on a hotspot network access being inadequate in a vicinity of thesecond mobile device and partly based on the network accessauthorization temporarily associating the second mobile device with theaccount associated with the first mobile device from the user of thefirst mobile device. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspectsare described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an indication of an accountassociated with a first mobile device and responding to an indication ofa communication service via at least the first mobile device and asecond mobile device having been in progress when the second mobiledevice crossed a wireless local area network (WLAN) service spaceboundary by allocating a communication service cost component thatdepends upon when the second mobile device crossed the WLAN servicespace boundary to the account associated with the first mobile device.In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indication ofan account associated with a first mobile device and circuitry forresponding to an indication of a communication service via at least thefirst mobile device and a second mobile device having been in progresswhen the second mobile device crossed a wireless local area network(WLAN) service space boundary by allocating a communication service costcomponent that depends upon when the second mobile device crossed theWLAN service space boundary to the account associated with the firstmobile device. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an indication of an accountassociated with a first mobile device and responding to an indication ofa communication service via at least the first mobile device and asecond mobile device having been in progress when the second mobiledevice crossed a wireless local area network (WLAN) service spaceboundary by allocating a communication service cost component thatdepends upon when the second mobile device crossed the WLAN servicespace boundary to the account associated with the first mobile device.In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an indication of an account associatedwith a first mobile device and responding to an indication of acommunication service via at least the first mobile device and a secondmobile device having been in progress when the second mobile devicecrossed a wireless local area network (WLAN) service space boundary byallocating a communication service cost component that depends upon whenthe second mobile device crossed the WLAN service space boundary to theaccount associated with the first mobile device. In addition to theforegoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings,and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining a third-party authorization fora rooted communication device to present geographical WLAN connectivitydata and obtaining a first position estimate of the rooted communicationdevice and signaling a decision whether or not to present a positionalindication of WLAN connectivity relative to the first position estimateat the rooted communication device or not conditionally, depending uponthe third-party authorization. In addition to the foregoing, othermethod aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming apart of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining a third-partyauthorization for a rooted communication device to present geographicalWLAN connectivity data and circuitry for obtaining a first positionestimate of the rooted communication device and circuitry for signalinga decision whether or not to present a positional indication of WLANconnectivity relative to the first position estimate at the rootedcommunication device or not conditionally, depending upon thethird-party authorization. In addition to the foregoing, other systemaspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a partof the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining a third-party authorizationfor a rooted communication device to present geographical WLANconnectivity data and obtaining a first position estimate of the rootedcommunication device and signaling a decision whether or not to presenta positional indication of WLAN connectivity relative to the firstposition estimate at the rooted communication device or notconditionally, depending upon the third-party authorization. In additionto the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are describedin the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the presentdisclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining a third-party authorization for a rootedcommunication device to present geographical WLAN connectivity data andobtaining a first position estimate of the rooted communication deviceand signaling a decision whether or not to present a positionalindication of WLAN connectivity relative to the first position estimateat the rooted communication device or not conditionally, depending uponthe third-party authorization. In addition to the foregoing, othersystem aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming apart of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to signaling a first decision whether or notto establish a communication via at least a first mobile device and asecond mobile device partly based on a first determination whether ornot a charge authorization has been associated with the first mobiledevice and partly based on a first determination whether or not thesecond mobile device has WLAN service and signaling a second decisionwhether or not to establish the communication via at least the firstmobile device and the second mobile device automatically andconditionally, partly based on a second determination whether or not thecharge authorization has been associated with the first mobile deviceand partly based on the first decision whether or not to establish thecommunication via at least the first mobile device and the second mobiledevice having been negative and partly based on a second determinationwhether or not the second mobile device has WLAN service. In addition tothe foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for signaling a first decisionwhether or not to establish a communication via at least a first mobiledevice and a second mobile device partly based on a first determinationwhether or not a charge authorization has been associated with the firstmobile device and partly based on a first determination whether or notthe second mobile device has WLAN service and circuitry for signaling asecond decision whether or not to establish the communication via atleast the first mobile device and the second mobile device automaticallyand conditionally, partly based on a second determination whether or notthe charge authorization has been associated with the first mobiledevice and partly based on the first decision whether or not toestablish the communication via at least the first mobile device and thesecond mobile device having been negative and partly based on a seconddetermination whether or not the second mobile device has WLAN service.In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to signaling a first decision whether ornot to establish a communication via at least a first mobile device anda second mobile device partly based on a first determination whether ornot a charge authorization has been associated with the first mobiledevice and partly based on a first determination whether or not thesecond mobile device has WLAN service and signaling a second decisionwhether or not to establish the communication via at least the firstmobile device and the second mobile device automatically andconditionally, partly based on a second determination whether or not thecharge authorization has been associated with the first mobile deviceand partly based on the first decision whether or not to establish thecommunication via at least the first mobile device and the second mobiledevice having been negative and partly based on a second determinationwhether or not the second mobile device has WLAN service. In addition tothe foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described inthe claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for signaling a first decision whether or not toestablish a communication via at least a first mobile device and asecond mobile device partly based on a first determination whether ornot a charge authorization has been associated with the first mobiledevice and partly based on a first determination whether or not thesecond mobile device has WLAN service and signaling a second decisionwhether or not to establish the communication via at least the firstmobile device and the second mobile device automatically andconditionally, partly based on a second determination whether or not thecharge authorization has been associated with the first mobile deviceand partly based on the first decision whether or not to establish thecommunication via at least the first mobile device and the second mobiledevice having been negative and partly based on a second determinationwhether or not the second mobile device has WLAN service. In addition tothe foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to receiving a first wireless signalindicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary viaa first antenna of a wearable assembly; extractingWLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wireless signal via asignal processor; transmitting the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative dataas a second wireless signal via an output component of the wearableassembly; and supporting at least the first antenna and the signalprocessor and the output component all in the wearable assembly. Inaddition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for receiving a first wirelesssignal indicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) serviceboundary via a first antenna of a wearable assembly; circuitry forextracting WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wirelesssignal via a signal processor; and circuitry for transmitting theWLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as a second wireless signal via anoutput component of the wearable assembly. In addition to the foregoing,other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to receiving a first wireless signalindicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary viaa first antenna of a wearable assembly; extractingWLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wireless signal via asignal processor; and transmitting the WLAN-service-boundary-indicativedata as a second wireless signal via an output component of the wearableassembly. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program productaspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a partof the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for receiving a first wireless signal indicative of awireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary via a first antennaof a wearable assembly, the wearable assembly including the computingdevice; extracting WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from firstwireless signal via a signal processor; and transmitting theWLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as a second wireless signal via anoutput component of the wearable assembly. In addition to the foregoing,other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or system and/orprogram product aspects are set forth and described in the teachingssuch as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawingsof the present disclosure. The foregoing is a summary and thus maycontain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissionsof detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any waylimiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/orprocesses and/or other subject matter described herein will becomeapparent in the teachings set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a more complete understanding of embodiments, reference now is madeto the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. The use of the same symbols in different drawings typicallyindicates similar or identical items, unless context dictates otherwise.The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description,drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments maybe utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from thespirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented, including a schematic depiction of anapparatus.

FIG. 2 comprises a 24-sheet depiction of an environment in which one ormore technologies may be implemented in which sub-parts are labeled asFIGS. 2A-2D, 3A-3D, 4A-4D, 5A-5D, 6A-6D, and 7A-7D.

FIG. 2A depicts a 4×6 grid of thumbnails of the 24 respective sub-partsof FIG. 2.

FIG. 2B comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a user holding adevice in one hand and pointing with the other.

FIG. 2C comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts one device in acell-only zone and another device in a wireless local area network(WLAN) zone.

FIG. 2D comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts another user devicewith a wireless linkage to a base transceiver station (BTS), the BTSalso having a wireless linkage to at least one of the devices of FIG.2C.

FIG. 3A comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts another user whosehandheld device requests a phone call.

FIG. 3B comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a WLAN access pointthat communicates with devices of FIGS. 2C and 3A.

FIG. 3C comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a switch by whichWLAN access points interact with a network.

FIG. 3D comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a base stationcontroller (BSC).

FIG. 4A comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts an access map server.

FIG. 4B comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts another BSC.

FIG. 4C comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a mobile switchingcenter (MSC).

FIG. 4D comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a subscriber statusdatabase.

FIG. 5A comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts wireless linkagebetween an access map server and at least one mobile devices in a “freeride” zone.

FIG. 5B comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a BTS incommunication with mobile devices.

FIG. 5C comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts interfaces by whichswitches interact with the network.

FIG. 5D comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts the network.

FIG. 6A comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts device users in a“free ride” zone.

FIG. 6B comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts device users in WLANzone as well as a switch by which WLAN access points interact with thenetwork.

FIG. 6C comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts another BTS.

FIG. 6D comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts another MSC and BSC.

FIG. 7A comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts operational flows.

FIG. 7B comprises a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts other operationalflows.

FIGS. 7C & 7D each comprise a portion of FIG. 2 that depicts a wearabledevice user.

FIG. 41 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented on a city street.

FIG. 42 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented between a primary device and a secondarydevice.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented among electrical nodes and transistorsof an integrated circuit.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a handheld device.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC).

FIG. 6 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in control logic.

FIGS. 7-13 each depict another exemplary environment in which one ormore technologies may be implemented in circuitry or otherevent-sequencing logic.

FIG. 14 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a user interface.

FIG. 15 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a stationary device, a vehicle, or ahandheld device.

FIG. 16 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a supervisor unit.

FIG. 17 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a communications network.

FIG. 18 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in circuitry or other event-sequencinglogic.

FIG. 19 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a device that facilitatesinterpersonal communications.

FIGS. 20-23 each depict an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media.

FIG. 24 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in circuitry or other event-sequencinglogic.

FIG. 25 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in circuitry or other event-sequencinglogic.

FIG. 26 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a detection unit.

FIG. 27 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 32 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 27, e.g.).

FIG. 28 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 33 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 28, e.g.).

FIG. 29 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 34 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 29, e.g.).

FIG. 30 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 35 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 30, e.g.).

FIG. 31 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 36 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 31, e.g.).

FIGS. 37-40 each depict another exemplary environment in which one ormore technologies may be implemented in circuitry or otherevent-sequencing logic.

FIGS. 43-46 each depict an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in one or more information-handlingmedia.

FIGS. 47-50 each depict another exemplary environment in which one ormore technologies may be implemented in circuitry or otherevent-sequencing logic.

FIG. 51 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in circuitry or other event-sequencinglogic.

FIG. 52 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 59 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 52, e.g.).

FIG. 53 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 60 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 53, e.g.).

FIG. 54 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 61 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 54, e.g.).

FIGS. 55 & 56 each depict an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 62 depicts variants of flows presented elsewhere.

FIG. 57 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 63 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 57, e.g.).

FIG. 58 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented.

FIG. 64 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process(described with reference to FIG. 58, e.g.).

FIG. 71 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in circuitry or other event-sequencinglogic.

FIG. 65 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process withseveral optional operations.

FIG. 66 depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

FIG. 67 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

FIG. 68 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

FIG. 69 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

FIG. 70 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar or identical components oritems, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodimentsdescribed in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are notmeant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and otherchanges may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of thesubject matter presented here.

The present application uses formal outline headings for clarity ofpresentation. However, it is to be understood that the outline headingsare for presentation purposes, and that different types of subjectmatter may be discussed throughout the application (e.g.,device(s)/structure(s) may be described under process(es)/operationsheading(s) and/or process(es)/operations may be discussed understructure(s)/process(es) headings; and/or descriptions of single topicsmay span two or more topic headings). Hence, the use of the formaloutline headings is not intended to be in any way limiting.

Throughout this application, examples and lists are given, withparentheses, the abbreviation “e.g.,” or both. Unless explicitlyotherwise stated, these examples and lists are merely exemplary and arenon-exhaustive. In most cases, it would be prohibitive to list everyexample and every combination. Thus, smaller, illustrative lists andexamples are used, with focus on imparting understanding of the claimterms rather than limiting the scope of such terms.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein describedcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussionaccompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated.Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and theaccompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their moregeneral classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended tobe representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specificcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be takenlimiting.

Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the arthas progressed to the point where there is little distinction leftbetween hardware, software, and/or firmware implementations of aspectsof systems; the use of hardware, software, and/or firmware is generally(but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardwareand software can become significant) a design choice representing costvs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciatethat there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/orother technologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware,software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will varywith the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or othertechnologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determinesthat speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for amainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibilityis paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly softwareimplementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt forsome combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware in one or moremachines, compositions of matter, and articles of manufacture, limitedto patentable subject matter under 35 USC 101. Hence, there are severalpossible vehicles by which the processes and/or devices and/or othertechnologies described herein may be effected, none of which isinherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is achoice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployedand the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability)of the implementer, any of which may vary. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that optical aspects of implementations will typically employoptically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware.

In some implementations described herein, logic and similarimplementations may include software or other control structures.Electronic circuitry, for example, may have one or more paths ofelectrical current constructed and arranged to implement variousfunctions as described herein. In some implementations, one or moremedia may be configured to bear a device-detectable implementation whensuch media hold or transmit device detectable instructions operable toperform as described herein. In some variants, for example,implementations may include an update or modification of existingsoftware or firmware, or of gate arrays or programmable hardware, suchas by performing a reception of or a transmission of one or moreinstructions in relation to one or more operations described herein.Alternatively or additionally, in some variants, an implementation mayinclude special-purpose hardware, software, firmware components, and/orgeneral-purpose components executing or otherwise invokingspecial-purpose components. Specifications or other implementations maybe transmitted by one or more instances of tangible transmission mediaas described herein, optionally by packet transmission or otherwise bypassing through distributed media at various times.

Alternatively or additionally, implementations may include executing aspecial-purpose instruction sequence or invoking circuitry for enabling,triggering, coordinating, requesting, or otherwise causing one or moreoccurrences of virtually any functional operation described herein. Insome variants, operational or other logical descriptions herein may beexpressed as source code and compiled or otherwise invoked as anexecutable instruction sequence. In some contexts, for example,implementations may be provided, in whole or in part, by source code,such as C++, or other code sequences. In other implementations, sourceor other code implementation, using commercially available and/ortechniques in the art, may be compiled//implemented/translated/convertedinto a high-level descriptor language (e.g., initially implementingdescribed technologies in C or C++ programming language and thereafterconverting the programming language implementation into alogic-synthesizable language implementation, a hardware descriptionlanguage implementation, a hardware design simulation implementation,and/or other such similar mode(s) of expression). For example, some orall of a logical expression (e.g., computer programming languageimplementation) may be manifested as a Verilog-type hardware description(e.g., via Hardware Description Language (HDL) and/or Very High SpeedIntegrated Circuit Hardware Descriptor Language (VHDL)) or othercircuitry model which may then be used to create a physicalimplementation having hardware (e.g., an Application Specific IntegratedCircuit). Those skilled in the art will recognize how to obtain,configure, and optimize suitable transmission or computational elements,material supplies, actuators, or other structures in light of theseteachings.

The claims, description, and drawings of this application may describeone or more of the instant technologies in operational/functionallanguage, for example as a set of operations to be performed by acomputer. Such operational/functional description in most instanceswould be understood by one skilled the art as specifically-configuredhardware (e.g., because a general purpose computer in effect becomes aspecial purpose computer once it is programmed to perform particularfunctions pursuant to instructions from program software).

Importantly, although the operational/functional descriptions describedherein are understandable by the human mind, they are not abstract ideasof the operations/functions divorced from computational implementationof those operations/functions. Rather, the operations/functionsrepresent a specification for massively complex computational machinesor other means. As discussed in detail below, the operational/functionallanguage must be read in its proper technological context, i.e., asconcrete specifications for physical implementations.

The logical operations/functions described herein are a distillation ofmachine specifications or other physical mechanisms specified by theoperations/functions such that the otherwise inscrutable machinespecifications may be comprehensible to a human reader. The distillationalso allows one of skill in the art to adapt the operational/functionaldescription of the technology across many different specific vendors'hardware configurations or platforms, without being limited to specificvendors' hardware configurations or platforms.

Some of the present technical description (e.g., detailed description,drawings, claims, etc.) may be set forth in terms of logicaloperations/functions. As described in more detail herein, these logicaloperations/functions are not representations of abstract ideas, butrather are representative of static or sequenced specifications ofvarious hardware elements. Differently stated, unless context dictatesotherwise, the logical operations/functions will be understood by thoseof skill in the art to be representative of static or sequencedspecifications of various hardware elements. This is true because toolsavailable to one of skill in the art to implement technical disclosuresset forth in operational/functional formats—tools in the form of ahigh-level programming language (e.g., C, java, visual basic), etc.), ortools in the form of Very high speed Hardware Description Language(“VHDL,” which is a language that uses text to describe logiccircuits)—are generators of static or sequenced specifications ofvarious hardware configurations. This fact is sometimes obscured by thebroad term “software,” but, as shown by the following explanation, thoseskilled in the art understand that what is termed “software” is ashorthand for a massively complex interchaining/specification ofordered-matter elements. The term “ordered-matter elements” may refer tophysical components of computation, such as assemblies of electroniclogic gates, molecular computing logic constituents, quantum computingmechanisms, etc.

For example, a high-level programming language is a programming languagewith strong abstraction, e.g., multiple levels of abstraction, from thedetails of the sequential organizations, states, inputs, outputs, etc.,of the machines that a high-level programming language actuallyspecifies. See, e.g., Wikipedia, High-level programming language,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-levelprogramming_language (as of Jun.5, 2012, 21:00 GMT). In order to facilitate human comprehension, in manyinstances, high-level programming languages resemble or even sharesymbols with natural languages. See, e.g., Wikipedia, Natural language,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_language (as of Jun. 5, 2012, 21:00GMT).

It has been argued that because high-level programming languages usestrong abstraction (e.g., that they may resemble or share symbols withnatural languages), they are therefore a “purely mental construct”(e.g., that “software”—a computer program or computer programming—issomehow an ineffable mental construct, because at a high level ofabstraction, it can be conceived and understood by a human reader). Thisargument has been used to characterize technical description in the formof functions/operations as somehow “abstract ideas.” In fact, intechnological arts (e.g., the information and communicationtechnologies) this is not true.

The fact that high-level programming languages use strong abstraction tofacilitate human understanding should not be taken as an indication thatwhat is expressed is an abstract idea. In fact, those skilled in the artunderstand that just the opposite is true. If a high-level programminglanguage is the tool used to implement a technical disclosure in theform of functions/operations, those skilled in the art will recognizethat, far from being abstract, imprecise, “fuzzy,” or “mental” in anysignificant semantic sense, such a tool is instead a nearincomprehensibly precise sequential specification of specificcomputational machines—the parts of which are built up byactivating/selecting such parts from typically more generalcomputational machines over time (e.g., clocked time). This fact issometimes obscured by the superficial similarities between high-levelprogramming languages and natural languages. These superficialsimilarities also may cause a glossing over of the fact that high-levelprogramming language implementations ultimately perform valuable work bycreating/controlling many different computational machines.

The many different computational machines that a high-level programminglanguage specifies are almost unimaginably complex. At base, thehardware used in the computational machines typically consists of sometype of ordered matter (e.g., traditional electronic devices (e.g.,transistors), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), quantum devices, mechanicalswitches, optics, fluidics, pneumatics, optical devices (e.g., opticalinterference devices), molecules, etc.) that are arranged to form logicgates. Logic gates are typically physical devices that may beelectrically, mechanically, chemically, or otherwise driven to changephysical state in order to create a physical reality of logic, such asBoolean logic.

Logic gates may be arranged to form logic circuits, which are typicallyphysical devices that may be electrically, mechanically, chemically, orotherwise driven to create a physical reality of certain logicalfunctions. Types of logic circuits include such devices as multiplexers,registers, arithmetic logic units (ALUs), computer memory, etc., eachtype of which may be combined to form yet other types of physicaldevices, such as a central processing unit (CPU)—the best known of whichis the microprocessor. A modern microprocessor will often contain morethan one hundred million logic gates in its many logic circuits (andoften more than a billion transistors). See, e.g., Wikipedia, Logicgates, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic_gates (as of Jun. 5, 2012,21:03 GMT).

The logic circuits forming the microprocessor are arranged to provide amicroarchitecture that will carry out the instructions defined by thatmicroprocessor's defined Instruction Set Architecture. The InstructionSet Architecture is the part of the microprocessor architecture relatedto programming, including the native data types, instructions,registers, addressing modes, memory architecture, interrupt andexception handling, and external Input/Output. See, e.g., Wikipedia,Computer architecture,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_architecture (as of Jun. 5, 2012,21:03 GMT).

The Instruction Set Architecture includes a specification of the machinelanguage that can be used by programmers to use/control themicroprocessor. Since the machine language instructions are such thatthey may be executed directly by the microprocessor, typically theyconsist of strings of binary digits, or bits. For example, a typicalmachine language instruction might be many bits long (e.g., 32, 64, or128 bit strings are currently common). A typical machine languageinstruction might take the form “11110000101011110000111100111111” (a 32bit instruction).

It is significant here that, although the machine language instructionsare written as sequences of binary digits, in actuality those binarydigits specify physical reality. For example, if certain semiconductorsare used to make the operations of Boolean logic a physical reality, theapparently mathematical bits “1” and “0” in a machine languageinstruction actually constitute a shorthand that specifies theapplication of specific voltages to specific wires. For example, in somesemiconductor technologies, the binary number “1” (e.g., logical “1”) ina machine language instruction specifies around +5 volts applied to aspecific “wire” (e.g., metallic traces on a printed circuit board) andthe binary number “0” (e.g., logical “0”) in a machine languageinstruction specifies around −5 volts applied to a specific “wire.” Inaddition to specifying voltages of the machines' configurations, suchmachine language instructions also select out and activate specificgroupings of logic gates from the millions of logic gates of the moregeneral machine. Thus, far from abstract mathematical expressions,machine language instruction programs, even though written as a stringof zeros and ones, specify many, many constructed physical machines orphysical machine states.

Machine language is typically incomprehensible by most humans (e.g., theabove example was just ONE instruction, and some personal computersexecute more than two billion instructions every second). See, e.g.,Wikipedia, Instructions per second,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructions_per_second (as of Jun. 5,2012, 21:04 GMT). Thus, programs written in machine language—which maybe tens of millions of machine language instructions long—areincomprehensible to most humans. In view of this, early assemblylanguages were developed that used mnemonic codes to refer to machinelanguage instructions, rather than using the machine languageinstructions' numeric values directly (e.g., for performing amultiplication operation, programmers coded the abbreviation “mult,”which represents the binary number “011000” in MIPS machine code). Whileassembly languages were initially a great aid to humans controlling themicroprocessors to perform work, in time the complexity of the work thatneeded to be done by the humans outstripped the ability of humans tocontrol the microprocessors using merely assembly languages.

At this point, it was noted that the same tasks needed to be done overand over, and the machine language necessary to do those repetitivetasks was the same. In view of this, compilers were created. A compileris a device that takes a statement that is more comprehensible to ahuman than either machine or assembly language, such as “add 2+2 andoutput the result,” and translates that human understandable statementinto a complicated, tedious, and immense machine language code (e.g.,millions of 32, 64, or 4128 bit length strings). Compilers thustranslate high-level programming language into machine language.

This compiled machine language, as described above, is then used as thetechnical specification which sequentially constructs and causes theinteroperation of many different computational machines such thatuseful, tangible, and concrete work is done. For example, as indicatedabove, such machine language—the compiled version of the higher-levellanguage—functions as a technical specification which selects outhardware logic gates, specifies voltage levels, voltage transitiontimings, etc., such that the useful work is accomplished by thehardware.

Thus, a functional/operational technical description, when viewed by oneof skill in the art, is far from an abstract idea. Rather, such afunctional/operational technical description, when understood throughthe tools available in the art such as those just described, is insteadunderstood to be a humanly understandable representation of a hardwarespecification, the complexity and specificity of which far exceeds thecomprehension of most any one human. With this in mind, those skilled inthe art will understand that any such operational/functional technicaldescriptions—in view of the disclosures herein and the knowledge ofthose skilled in the art—may be understood as operations made intophysical reality by (a) one or more interchained physical machines, (b)interchained logic gates configured to create one or more physicalmachine(s) representative of sequential/combinatorial logic(s), (c)interchained ordered matter making up logic gates (e.g., interchainedelectronic devices (e.g., transistors), DNA, quantum devices, mechanicalswitches, optics, fluidics, pneumatics, molecules, etc.) that createphysical reality of logic(s), or (d) virtually any combination of theforegoing. Indeed, any physical object which has a stable, measurable,and changeable state may be used to construct a machine based on theabove technical description. Charles Babbage, for example, constructedthe first mechanized computational apparatus out of wood, with theapparatus powered by cranking a handle.

Thus, far from being understood as an abstract idea, those skilled inthe art will recognize a functional/operational technical description asa humanly-understandable representation of one or more almostunimaginably complex and time sequenced hardware instantiations. Thefact that functional/operational technical descriptions might lendthemselves readily to high-level computing languages (or high-levelblock diagrams for that matter) that share some words, structures,phrases, etc. with natural language should not be taken as an indicationthat such functional/operational technical descriptions are abstractideas, or mere expressions of abstract ideas. In fact, as outlinedherein, in the technological arts this is simply not true. When viewedthrough the tools available to those of skill in the art, suchfunctional/operational technical descriptions are seen as specifyinghardware configurations of almost unimaginable complexity.

As outlined above, the reason for the use of functional/operationaltechnical descriptions is at least twofold. First, the use offunctional/operational technical descriptions allows near-infinitelycomplex machines and machine operations arising from interchainedhardware elements to be described in a manner that the human mind canprocess (e.g., by mimicking natural language and logical narrativeflow). Second, the use of functional/operational technical descriptionsassists the person of skill in the art in understanding the describedsubject matter by providing a description that is more or lessindependent of any specific vendor's piece(s) of hardware.

The use of functional/operational technical descriptions assists theperson of skill in the art in understanding the described subject mattersince, as is evident from the above discussion, one could easily,although not quickly, transcribe the technical descriptions set forth inthis document as trillions of ones and zeroes, billions of single linesof assembly-level machine code, millions of logic gates, thousands ofgate arrays, or any number of intermediate levels of abstractions.However, if any such low-level technical descriptions were to replacethe present technical description, a person of skill in the art couldencounter undue difficulty in implementing the disclosure, because sucha low-level technical description would likely add complexity without acorresponding benefit (e.g., by describing the subject matter utilizingthe conventions of one or more vendor-specific pieces of hardware).Thus, the use of functional/operational technical descriptions assiststhose of skill in the art by separating the technical descriptions fromthe conventions of any vendor-specific piece of hardware.

In view of the foregoing, the logical operations/functions set forth inthe present technical description are representative of static orsequenced specifications of various ordered-matter elements, in orderthat such specifications may be comprehensible to the human mind andadaptable to create many various hardware configurations. The logicaloperations/functions disclosed herein should be treated as such, andshould not be disparagingly characterized as abstract ideas merelybecause the specifications they represent are presented in a manner thatone of skill in the art can readily understand and apply in a mannerindependent of a specific vendor's hardware implementation.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the artto implement devices and/or processes and/or systems, and thereafter useengineering and/or other practices to integrate such implemented devicesand/or processes and/or systems into more comprehensive devices and/orprocesses and/or systems. That is, at least a portion of the devicesand/or processes and/or systems described herein can be integrated intoother devices and/or processes and/or systems via a reasonable amount ofexperimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize thatexamples of such other devices and/or processes and/or systems mightinclude_as appropriate to context and application—all or part of devicesand/or processes and/or systems of (a) an air conveyance (e.g., anairplane, rocket, helicopter, etc.), (b) a ground conveyance (e.g., acar, truck, locomotive, tank, armored personnel carrier, etc.), (c) abuilding (e.g., a home, warehouse, office, etc.), (d) an appliance(e.g., a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, etc.), (e) acommunications system (e.g., a networked system, a telephone system, aVoice over IP system, etc.), (f) a business entity (e.g., an InternetService Provider (ISP) entity such as Comcast Cable, Qwest, SouthwesternBell, etc.), or (g) a wired/wireless services entity (e.g., Sprint,Cingular, Nextel, etc.), etc.

In certain cases, use of a system or method may occur in a territoryeven if components are located outside the territory. For example, in adistributed computing context, use of a distributed computing system mayoccur in a territory even though parts of the system may be locatedoutside of the territory (e.g., relay, server, processor, signal-bearingmedium, transmitting computer, receiving computer, etc. located outsidethe territory).

A sale of a system or method may likewise occur in a territory even ifcomponents of the system or method are located and/or used outside theterritory. Further, implementation of at least part of a system forperforming a method in one territory does not preclude use of the systemin another territory

One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein describedcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussionaccompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated.Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and theaccompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their moregeneral classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended tobe representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specificcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be takenlimiting.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or connected with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or“operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewedas being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents, and/or wirelessly interactable, and/or wirelesslyinteracting components, and/or logically interacting, and/or logicallyinteractable components.

In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as“configured to,” “configured by,” “configurable to,” “operable/operativeto,” “adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc.Those skilled in the art will recognize that such terms (e.g.“configured to”) generally encompass active-state components and/orinactive-state components and/or standby-state components, unlesscontext requires otherwise.

In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that thevarious embodiments described herein can be implemented, individuallyand/or collectively, by various types of electro-mechanical systemshaving a wide range of electrical components such as hardware, software,firmware, and/or virtually any combination thereof, limited topatentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101; and a wide range ofcomponents that may impart mechanical force or motion such as rigidbodies, spring or torsional bodies, hydraulics, electro-magneticallyactuated devices, and/or virtually any combination thereof.Consequently, as used herein “electro-mechanical system” includes, butis not limited to, electrical circuitry operably coupled with atransducer (e.g., an actuator, a motor, a piezoelectric crystal, a MicroElectro Mechanical System (MEMS), etc.), electrical circuitry having atleast one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having atleast one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least oneapplication specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming ageneral purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g.,a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which atleast partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein,or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at leastpartially carries out processes and/or devices described herein),electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of memory(e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), electrical circuitryforming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch,optical-electrical equipment, etc.), and/or any non-electrical analogthereto, such as optical or other analogs (e.g., graphene basedcircuitry). Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that examplesof electro-mechanical systems include but are not limited to a varietyof consumer electronics systems, medical devices, as well as othersystems such as motorized transport systems, factory automation systems,security systems, and/or communication/computing systems. Those skilledin the art will recognize that electro-mechanical as used herein is notnecessarily limited to a system that has both electrical and mechanicalactuation except as context may dictate otherwise.

In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that thevarious aspects described herein which can be implemented, individuallyand/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware,and/or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed ofvarious types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein“electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electricalcircuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electricalcircuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitryhaving at least one application specific integrated circuit, electricalcircuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by acomputer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by acomputer program which at least partially carries out processes and/ordevices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computerprogram which at least partially carries out processes and/or devicesdescribed herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g.,forms of memory (e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), and/orelectrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem,communications switch, optical-electrical equipment, etc.). Those havingskill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described hereinmay be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combinationthereof.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that at least a portion of thedevices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a dataprocessing system. Those having skill in the art will recognize that adata processing system generally includes one or more of a system unithousing, a video display device, memory such as volatile or non-volatilememory, processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors,computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphicaluser interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interactiondevices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna, etc.), and/orcontrol systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g.,feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for movingand/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A data processing systemmay be implemented utilizing suitable commercially available components,such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/ornetwork computing/communication systems.

For the purposes of this application, “cloud” computing may beunderstood as described in the cloud computing literature. For example,cloud computing may be methods and/or systems for the delivery ofcomputational capacity and/or storage capacity as a service. The “cloud”may refer to one or more hardware and/or software components thatdeliver or assist in the delivery of computational and/or storagecapacity, including, but not limited to, one or more of a client, anapplication, a platform, an infrastructure, and/or a server The cloudmay refer to any of the hardware and/or software associated with aclient, an application, a platform, an infrastructure, and/or a server.For example, cloud and cloud computing may refer to one or more of acomputer, a processor, a storage medium, a router, a switch, a modem, avirtual machine (e.g., a virtual server), a data center, an operatingsystem, a middleware, a firmware, a hardware back-end, a softwareback-end, and/or a software application. A cloud may refer to a privatecloud, a public cloud, a hybrid cloud, and/or a community cloud. A cloudmay be a shared pool of configurable computing resources, which may bepublic, private, semi-private, distributable, scaleable, flexible,temporary, virtual, and/or physical. A cloud or cloud service may bedelivered over one or more types of network, e.g., a mobilecommunication network, and the Internet.

As used in this application, a cloud or a cloud service may include oneor more of infrastructure-as-a-service (“IaaS”), platform-as-a-service(“PaaS”), software-as-a-service (“SaaS”), and/or desktop-as-a-service(“DaaS”). As a non-exclusive example, IaaS may include, e.g., one ormore virtual server instantiations that may start, stop, access, and/orconfigure virtual servers and/or storage centers (e.g., providing one ormore processors, storage space, and/or network resources on-demand,e.g., EMC and Rackspace). PaaS may include, e.g., one or more softwareand/or development tools hosted on an infrastructure (e.g., a computingplatform and/or a solution stack from which the client can createsoftware interfaces and applications, e.g., Microsoft Azure). SaaS mayinclude, e.g., software hosted by a service provider and accessible overa network (e.g., the software for the application and/or the dataassociated with that software application may be kept on the network,e.g., Google Apps, SalesForce). DaaS may include, e.g., providingdesktop, applications, data, and/or services for the user over a network(e.g., providing a multi-application framework, the applications in theframework, the data associated with the applications, and/or servicesrelated to the applications and/or the data over the network, e.g.,Citrix). The foregoing is intended to be exemplary of the types ofsystems and/or methods referred to in this application as “cloud” or“cloud computing” and should not be considered complete or exhaustive.

The proliferation of automation in many transactions is apparent. Forexample, Automated Teller Machines (“ATMs”) dispense money and receivedeposits. Airline ticket counter machines check passengers in, dispensetickets, and allow passengers to change or upgrade flights. Train andsubway ticket counter machines allow passengers to purchase a ticket toa particular destination without invoking a human interaction at all.Many groceries and pharmacies have self-service checkout machines whichallow a consumer to pay for goods purchased by interacting only with amachine. Large companies now staff telephone answering systems withmachines that interact with customers, and invoke a human in thetransaction only if there is a problem with the machine-facilitatedtransaction.

Nevertheless, as such automation increases, convenience andaccessibility may decrease. Self-checkout machines at grocery stores maybe difficult to operate. ATMs and ticket counter machines may be mostlyinaccessible to disabled persons or persons requiring special access.Where before, the interaction with a human would allow disabled personsto complete transactions with relative ease, if a disabled person isunable to push the buttons on an ATM, there is little the machine can doto facilitate the transaction to completion. While some of these publicterminals allow speech operations, they are configured to the mostgeneric forms of speech, which may be less useful in recognizingparticular speakers, thereby leading to frustration for users attemptingto speak to the machine. This problem may be especially challenging forthe disabled, who already may face significant challenges in completingtransactions with automated machines.

In addition, smartphones and tablet devices also now are configured toreceive speech commands. Speech and voice controlled automobile systemsnow appear regularly in motor vehicles, even in economical,mass-produced vehicles. Home entertainment devices, e.g., disc players,televisions, radios, stereos, and the like, may respond to speechcommands. Additionally, home security systems may respond to speechcommands. In an office setting, a worker's computer may respond tospeech from that worker, allowing faster, more efficient work flows.Such systems and machines may be trained to operate with particularusers, either through explicit training or through repeatedinteractions. Nevertheless, when that system is upgraded or replaced,e.g., a new television is purchased, that training may be lost with thedevice. Thus, in some embodiments described herein, adaptation data forspeech recognition systems may be separated from the device whichrecognizes the speech, and may be more closely associated with a user,e.g., through a device carried by the user, or through a networklocation associated with the user.

Further, in some environments, there may be more than one device thattransmits and receives data within a range of interacting with a user.For example, merely sitting on a couch watching television may involvefive or more devices, e.g., a television, a cable box, an audio/visualreceiver, a remote control, and a smartphone device. Some of thesedevices may transmit or receive speech data. Some of these devices maytransmit, receive, or store adaptation data, as will be described inmore detail herein. Thus, in some embodiments, which will be describedin more detail herein, there may be methods, systems, and devices fordetermining which devices in a system should perform actions that allowa user to efficiently interact with an intended device through thatuser's speech.

With reference now to FIG. 1, there is shown a system 10 comprising anapparatus 100 in which one or more technologies may be implemented.Apparatus 100 may include one or more instances of account updatemodules 120 each configured to allocate or otherwise handle costcomponents 121, 122, 123; of service configuration modules 130configured to establish or update one or more routes 131, 132, 133 (abidirectional interpersonal communication or other signal path via whichone or more messages 137 or other communication services 135, 136 areimplemented, e.g.); of account configuration modules 141; of cohortidentification modules 142; of service request handling modules 143,144; of initiation modules 171, 172; of response modules 185; ofallocation modules 1641, 1642; of detection modules 1671; of inputmodules 1684; of interface modules 1721; of notification modules 1743,1744; of registration modules 1971, 1972; or aggregation modules 1981 asdescribed below.

With reference now to FIG. 2, there is shown a system 20 in or acrosswhich one or more instances of apparatus 100 or its components may beinstantiated (in subsystems or mobile devices described below, e.g.) andin which one or more technologies may be implemented. FIG. 2 comprises agrid of 4 sheets by 6 sheets, the grid being summarized in a legend inFIG. 2A. FIG. 2 shows a partially schematic diagram of an environment(s)and/or an implementation(s) of technologies described herein. It isnoted that FIG. 2 is a high-level environment diagram. As such, someelements of the system of FIG. 2 are expressed through the function theycarry out. In such circumstances, these elements should be considered toinclude any combination of one or more program, microprocessorconfiguration, state machine, transistor-based event sequencingstructure, firmware, field-programmable gate array (“FPGA”)configuration, application programming interface (“API”), function,class, data structure, dynamically loaded library (“DLL”), database(e.g., SQL database), or other such special-purpose modules implementedin a structure or method eligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C.§101.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/317,989 (“Context-sensitive queryenrichment”) describes search protocols that are useful in a context ofsmartphones or similar mobile devices implementing wirelesscommunication. As described with reference to FIG. 9 thereof and also toFIG. 2B herein, handheld interface device 962 permits a user to carry orotherwise support the device 962 as shown, while extending one or moreof his fingers or arms 968 into a space where such limb can be detected(optically, e.g.) by the device 962. Moreover the user can effectivelyuse one or more such limbs to indicate a three-dimensional region 903containing one or more elements 931, 932 of interest to the user (on aposter 907 within sight of the user's facial region 901, e.g.). In someimplementations device 962 also includes one or more microphones 941 orother sensors 951, 952 operable to capture one or more expressions 945(in sounds in region 902, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, one ormore networks 1200 are operably coupled with device 962 (via accesspoint 1820 and network interface 2500, e.g.) so that a face 981,character sequence 982, or other search pattern 983 (expresseddigitally, e.g.) can be downloaded or recognized (e.g. in optical datafrom one or more sensors 951, 952). In some contexts, as describedbelow, this permits one or more modules described herein (implementingone or more instances of a dialog manager in device 962 or network 1200,e.g.) to estimate a location of one or more regions, limbs, visibleelements, or other such entities relative to one or more referencepositions 925, 926.

With reference now to FIG. 18 of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/317,989, shown there is a high-level logic flow that includesrecognizing a position of a first limb of a person in relation to afacial region of the person and to a three-dimensional region indicatedby the first limb of the person, the three-dimensional region includinga first informational element (e.g. an estimation module assigning twoor more coordinates signaling a location of the person's finger, hand,or arm 968 in relation to a stationary or other frame of reference thatcan also signal respective locations of a facial region 901 of theperson and a 3D region 903 that includes one or more informationalelements 931, 932). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichthe 3D region 903 is farther than the arm 968 (in relation to the facialregion 901 of the person) and in which the estimation module usesstandard positioning coordinates (GPS with altitude, e.g.) or some otherframe of reference in relation to which facial region 901 and 3D region903 can be mathematically expressed. In some variants, for example, ahandheld device 962 may include a first optical sensor 951 configured tocapture first optical data (an image, e.g.) positionally related to oneor more reference positions 925, 926 (located in device 962 or facialregion 901 or some other frame of reference, e.g.) and a second opticalsensor 952 configured to capture second optical data (another image,e.g.) positionally related to the same reference position(s) 925, 926contemporaneously therewith (within a few seconds, e.g.). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which “first” optical data indicatesan approximate position of the facial region 901 of the person (inrelation to device 962, e.g.) and in which “second” optical dataindicates an approximate position of one or more elements 931, 932 in a3D region toward which the person gestures (with a finger or arm 968,e.g.). In some variants, such an estimation module can perform thisfunction using optical data obtained from only a single optical sensor952. This can occur, for example, in a context in which device 962 isconfigured to be worn or held in facial region 901, establishing areference position in the facial region. More generally, a limb positionis known “in relation to” another entity (an item or region, e.g.) ifeach is assigned a specific location (expressed in coordinates or anatural language expression, e.g.) in a frame of reference common toboth.

The logic flow also includes transmitting a search result relating tothe first informational element and partly based on first auditory datafrom a vicinity of the person and partly based on the position of thefirst limb of the person in relation to the facial region of the personand to the three-dimensional region indicated by the first limb of theperson (e.g. a statement module transmitting a result of a search taskresulting from a search pattern 983 that includes a face 981 orcharacter sequence 982 obtained from visible elements 931, 932 of theuser's environment in response to auditory data from the sameenvironment and to the region 903 indicated by the finger, hand, or arm968). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the user'svicinity (region 902, e.g.) defines “the environment,” in which theauditory data and one or more visible elements 931, 932 are bothcaptured (respectively via microphone 941 and optical sensor 951, e.g.)in the same device 962; in which the indicated region 903 or auditorydata may each trigger an exclusion or inclusion of one or more candidateelements; and in which search pattern 983 would otherwise have to beconstructed by a more laborious process. In some contexts, for example,the auditory data may include a corroboratory expression 945 relating toone element (e.g. an utterance of “face” or “Smith” or “guy” or “who”).Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts, the auditory data mayinclude timing data signaling that an audible event was detected whilethe user apparently looked at the “first” informational element. Whenimplemented in conjunction with a cost-shifting or other mobileconnectivity facilitation protocol as described herein, the flow in FIG.18 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/317,989 permits a cellularsubscriber and another device user (with a mobile device that does nothave an established cellular communications subscription accountassociated therewith, e.g.) to establish or maintain modes ofcommunication service 136 (phone connections, e.g.) that permitcollaborative investigation that would not otherwise exist. This canoccur, for example, in a context in which device 962 participates in adelivery of messages 137 (search task descriptions or results, e.g.) orother communication services 135, 136 (as a cellular subscriber'sdevice, e.g.) as described below.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for comparing a face or other informational element with adatabase of similar items as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,000,528 (“Method andapparatus for authenticating printed documents using multi-level imagecomparison based on document characteristics”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,191(“Method and system for searching for information on a network inresponse to an image query sent by a user from a mobile communicationsdevice”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,518 (“Method, system and computer programproduct for failure analysis implementing automated comparison ofmultiple reference models”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,856,137 (“Apparatus andmethod for verifying image by comparison with template image”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,831,559 (“Concept-based trends and exceptions tracking”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,787,693 (“Text detection on mobile communicationsdevices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,055 (“Rule-based database object matchingwith comparison certainty”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,443,787 (“Cluster system,cluster member, and failure recovery method and program thereof”); U.S.Pat. No. 6,424,729 (“Optical fingerprint security verification usingseparate target and reference planes and a uniqueness comparisonscheme”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,398 (“Information retrieval system andmethod that generates weighted comparison results to analyze the degreeof dissimilarity between a reference corpus and a candidate document”);U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,014 (“Apparatus and method of inspecting phase shiftmasks using comparison of a mask die image to the mask image database”).

With reference now to FIG. 2C, there is shown a user 175 straddling azone boundary 7150 separating a wireless local area network (WLAN) zone7114 (including a smartphone or similar device 7101 able to use Wi-Fi,e.g.) from a cell-only zone 7115 (including a handheld device 7102 thatcannot presently access any Wi-Fi hotspot but can communicate via acellular network, e.g.). Device 7102 includes several externally visiblefeatures (speakers 442 and cameras 443, e.g.) and several internalfeatures (an integrated circuit 440 having one or more memories 431, 432and one or more special-purpose modules 425, 428) manufactured orotherwise configured to provide features described herein. In theinterest of concision and according to standard usage in communicationtechnologies, such features are set forth in natural languageexpressions. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that suchexpressions (functions or acts recited in English, e.g.) adequatelydescribe structures identified below so that no undue experimentationwill be required for their implementation. For example, any records orother informational data identified herein may easily be representeddigitally as a voltage configuration on one or more electrical nodes(pads 435, e.g.) of an event-sequencing structure (transistor-basedcircuitry on an integrated circuit 440, e.g.) without any undueexperimentation.

With reference now to FIG. 2D, there is shown a base transceiver station(BTS) 310 wirelessly coupled to device 7102 and also to device 1000.Device 1000 (a handheld device or passenger vehicle or communicationsatellite, e.g.) includes one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs)1011; frequency hopping modules 1013; transmitter/receiver modules 1014;channel management modules 1015; signal processing modules 1016; userinterfaces 1017; encoders 1018; and decoders 1019. Except as noted,mobile wireless communication devices and subsystems depicted hereineach include most or all of these components. In some cases, suchcomponents (SIMs, e.g.) may be readily removable or reconfigurable asdescribed herein.

With reference now to FIG. 3D, there is shown a base station controller(BSC) 510 operably coupled (through a fiberoptic conduit, e.g.) with BTS310. To facilitate control of one or more BTS's, as shown, BSC 510 mayinclude one or more channel allocation modules 511; signal timingmodules 513; and handover modules 518. BTS 310 and BSC 510 may typicallybe subsystems of a network operated by a cellular service provider(Verizon®, e.g.).

With reference now to FIGS. 3B and 3C, there are shown a plurality ofaccess points 1810, 1820 operably coupled (via a wireless linkage, e.g.)with and controlled by a switch 4110. Each such access point may beimplemented as a wireless router, for example, through which mobiledevices 962, 7101 may access a network 1200 (the Internet, e.g.).

With reference now to FIGS. 3A and 4A, there is shown another user 177,also operating a handheld device 2750. In some contexts, as describedbelow, device 2750 may initiate a communication service (telephone call,e.g.) or may indicate its location via access point 1820. Also asdescribed below, device 2750 may likewise initiate a communicationservice or may indicate its present location via a cellular network(including BTS 320, e.g.). In either case, or both, many such users maycontinually report indications of changes in service availability to oneor more access map servers 2300 that aggregate such status data 2320into regional service maps 2330, segments 2337 of which may then beprovided selectively to devices in locations corresponding thereto.

With reference now to FIG. 4B, there is shown a base station controller(BSC) 520 configured to control BTS 320. It comprises one or moreinstances of channel allocation modules 521, signal timing modules 523,and handover modules 528 configured to facilitate operations describedherein.

With reference now to FIG. 4C, there is shown a mobile switching center(MSC) 600 including one or more instances of authentication centers 610;equipment identity registers 630; home location registers 640; andvisitor location registers 650. Such components of MSC 600 are eachconfigured to interact with one or more instances of BSC 520 tofacilitate operations as described herein.

With reference now to FIG. 4D, there is shown a subscriber database 680(implemented within or otherwise operably coupled with MSC 600.Subscriber database 680 includes numerous records, for example,associating each device (identified as a field labeled “Cust_ID,” e.g.)with a monthly allocation of minutes corresponding to a plan that thesubscriber pays for; with a “balance” of remaining minutes available tothat customer or device; and with an indicator of a remaining duration(in days, e.g.) until a replenishment of the “balance” will be applied.

With reference now to FIG. 5D, there is shown a network 1200 having oneor more instance of channel establishment subsystems 1230; channeladaptation subsystems 1220; public switched packet data network (PSPDN)subsystems 1260; public switched telephone network (PSTN) subsystems1280; or communication satellites 1293. Those skilled in the art willunderstand a variety of configurations of such networks and devices 1000(satellite phones or radios, e.g.) served by them.

With reference now to FIG. 5C, there are shown one or more instances ofnetwork interfaces 2400, 2500 suitable for facilitating an interactionbetween network 1200 and WLAN access points (via switch 4110, e.g.). Insome instances, such network interfaces include one or more instances offirewalls 2470 or high speed modems 2480.

With reference now to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6A, users 178, 179 in a “freeride” zone 7815 accessible by a cellular network (including BTS 330,e.g.) are shown using mobile devices 7802, 7822. These users are notsubscribers in any cellular network in contractual privity with theentity that owns BTS 330 and so do not pay for cellular service.Nevertheless under conditions described herein, one or more limitedservice as described herein may be provided to them. In response to asubscribing user 175 attempting to establish a communication service toa non-subscribing user, for example, the cellular network may transmit amap segment 2337 or other indications of nearby WLAN serviceavailability (depicting WLAN zone 7214, e.g.). In some variants suchinformation may be a real-time response to a service request from user175. In others such information may be provided on a frequent basis(daily or more often, e.g.) in response to cohort identification module142 receiving an indication that a subscribing user 175 has identifiedone or more devices 7802, 7822 used by the non-subscribing user(s). Insome contexts, for example, cohort identification module 142 may accepta limited number of such device designations for each subscribing user.Alternatively or additionally, such indications of nearby WLAN serviceavailability may be contingent on the one or more non-subscriber devices7802, 7822 being configured to provide a service in return: to functionas a hotspot, for example, or to report indications of changes inservice availability (deviations from that indicated by map 2330, e.g.).

With reference now to FIGS. 6B, 6C, and 6D, there are shown a pluralityof access points 1830, 1840 connected with network interface 2400 viaswitch 4120. Also there is shown a BTS 340 operably coupled with network1200 via BSC 510 and MSC 700.

In some variants, moreover, devices 7801, 7821 in WLAN zone 7214 (1) maybe advised of an estimated position of, or imminent crossing of, a zoneboundary 7850 or (2) may otherwise interact with an access map server2300 (via base transceiver station 330 or via access point 1840, e.g.)in any of the modes described above. (One or more instances of accessmap server 2300 or other apparatuses 100 described herein forsupervisory or supplemental functions may be implemented in any ofseveral subsystems described herein, in or around network 1200.) In somevariants, one or more access points 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840 may also beconstructed and arranged to provide a fixed wireless linkage from apower meter to a network.

With reference now to FIG. 7D, there is shown a more magnified view ofuser 179 (showing a subsequent position east and south of WLAN zone7214, e.g.) using a headset 355 operably coupled to interact (via BTS340, e.g.) with network 1200 as shown. Likewise with reference to FIG.7C, there is shown a user having wearable articles (eyewear 354 or aclip unit 353 or wristwear 538, e.g.) of which one or more may beconfigured without a transmit antenna but able to receive an RF signal.In respective embodiments, each such item may be configured to receive asignal (1) from a WLAN access point 1830 or (2) from a base transceiverstation 340 or (3) from either when the respective wearable article isin a position to receive such signals.

Referring again to FIG. 1 with regard to the system 20 of FIG. 2,account configuration module 141 comprises special-purpose circuitry (atransistor-based event sequencing structure, e.g.) that associates orotherwise obtains an indication of an account (a quantification of“remaining minutes” or other available assets represented digitally,e.g.) associated with device 7101. User 175 (a cellular subscriber,e.g.) owns an account identified as 507779-7267 that has been linked todevice 7101 (a smartphone, e.g.) as shown in subscriber status database680. Account configuration module 141 interacts with subscriber statusdatabase 680 that indicates a monthly allocation of 500 minutes, 134 ofwhich are currently available for use within the next 5 days as shown.User 175 will incur an excess-use penalty if more than 134 minutes areused within 5 days, but will receive 500 additional minutes at that timein a conventional manner.

Account update module 120 is likewise implemented as special-purposecircuitry that can, under some circumstances, debit the minute balanceor otherwise allocate a cost component 131 (against the 134-minutebalance or otherwise as an amount of currency, e.g.) of a communicationservice 36 (video call, e.g.) between device 7101 and one or more otherdevices 7801, 7802, 7822 that depends upon whether such other device iswithin WLAN service space (in WLAN zone 7214 or some other suitablehotspot, e.g.) or not. This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich such other device is not associated with any conventional wirelesscarrier (Verizon®, e.g.), such as in which one or more users 178, 179 ofsuch devices have cancelled their subscription. If two communicationservice participant devices 7101, 7801 are both within WLAN servicespace, service configuration module 130 establishes the communicationservice 136 between them along a non-cellular route 131 (such as viaaccess points 1820, 1840; switches 4110, 4120; and network interfaces2400, 2500). If user 175 is operating a device 7102 outside WLAN servicespace (in cell-only zone 7115, e.g.), service configuration module 130establishes communication service 136 along a route 132 that is partcellular (from network 1200 to user 175, e.g.) and part non-cellular(from network 1200 to device 7801, e.g.). In this configuration, user175 incurs a cost component 142 that does not depend upon user 178'spresence in or absence from WLAN service space (consuming his minutes athis normal usage rate during premium “anytime minute” hours defined byhis wireless carrier, e.g.). If users 175, 178 at both ends of acommunication service 136 are outside WLAN service space (such as whenusing devices 7102, 7802), however, account update module 130 willcharge user 175 at a higher rate (1.5 or 2.5 “minute” currency units perminute of call duration, e.g.) so that the non-subscribing user 178(using device 7802, e.g.) can participate in the communication servicewithout charge. This can occur, for example, in a context in which route132 could otherwise not be established (via BTS 330, e.g.) and in whichuser 175 would otherwise have to wait for user 178 to re-enter WLANservice space even to get a unidirectional message 137 through to user178.

If user 175 is inside WLAN service space and user 178 is not, serviceconfiguration module 130 will establish communication service 136 as apart-cellular route 133 (via BSC 520, MSC 600, switch 4110, and accesspoint 1820, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichcommunication service 136 will only include a unidirectional message 137(a ping or SMS text string, e.g.). In some variants, for example, awireless carrier will only pass such messages toward the subscriber; inothers, only messages from the subscriber will be passed; in stillothers, the charge for respective directions of message travel may bedifferent.

In some variants, service configuration module 130 may decide, based onone or more indications of low network loading at the time of a userinteraction, to permit user 175 to establish a voice call or even avideo call as the communication service 136. At other times, serviceconfiguration module 130 may present to user 175 a “grayed” touchscreenbutton or other indication that such resource-intensive service iscurrently unavailable for interacting with non-subscribers through thecellular networks.

In some instances, account update module 120 may debit the accountlinked to device 7101 (identified as 507779-7267, e.g.) for acommunication service 135 established even with a user 179 who is inWLAN service space. This can occur, for example, in a context in whichthe device 7821 being operated by user 179 is a passenger vehicle orwhen user 175 has provided an indication (as a menu selection on hisdevice, e.g.) that a premium for cellular access to user 178 isdesirable, whether user 175 is using his device 7101 within WLAN servicespace or using his device 7102 outside WLAN service space.

With reference now to FIG. 7A, there is shown a high-level logic flow3200 disclosed in FIG. 32 of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/731,907. Flow 3200 describes an operation 28 of establishing both awireless communication channel via a first device and from a seconddevice and a wireless communication channel from the second device andvia a third device (e.g. initiation modules 171, 172 respectivelycreating parallel communication channels from device 7801, eachincluding at least one wireless linkage). This can occur, for example,in a context in which base transceiver station 330 is the “first”device; in which device 7801 is the “second” device; in which accesspoint 1840 is (an instance of) the “third” device; and in which at leasttwo such parallel channels exist simultaneously at some time during thecommunication service. In a telephonic implementation, for example,(both or all) such channels may bear digitized auditory datasimultaneously, optionally including a particular component of user datapassing simultaneously through a primary channel through anotherchannel.

Flow 3200 also describes an operation 32 of signaling a decision of howmuch user data to transmit via the wireless communication channel fromthe second device and via the third device responsive to an indicationthat a data block delivery failure rate of the wireless communicationchannel via the first device and from the second device exceeds athreshold (e.g. allocation module 1641 causing one or more transmissionmodules to increase a fraction of digitized auditory data transmittedthe third device as an incremental response to an indication that a datablock delivery failure rate via the first device exceeds a threshold).This can occur, for example, in a context in which the incrementalresponse causes a partial reduction in a volume of data block deliveryfailure events and in which such wireless communication channelallocations would otherwise be made in a crude or undulycomputation-intensive fashion (by conventional signal strength or loadbalancing or bit error rate indicia, e.g.). In some contexts, forexample, allocation module 1641 may be configured to close a channelwhen a traffic volume through it becomes low enough (after severaliterations of reduction, e.g.). When implemented in conjunction with acost-shifting or other mobile connectivity facilitation protocol asdescribed herein, flow 3200 permits a cellular subscriber and anotherdevice user (with a wearable article or other mobile device that doesnot have an established cellular communications subscription accountassociated therewith, e.g.) to establish or maintain routes ofcommunication service 136 (phone connections or message delivery, e.g.)that would not otherwise exist.

With reference again to FIG. 7A, there is shown a high-level logic flow3300 disclosed in FIG. 33 of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/731,907. Flow 3300 describes an operation 24 of obtaining at a firstdevice an identifier of a second device (e.g. registration module 1971maintaining a local instance of a contact list within device 7102including a phone number or similar identification associated with user178). This can occur, for example, in a context in which device 7102 isthe “first” device; in which device 7802 is the “second” device; and inwhich a telephone switch or server (a mobile switching center 600 orsimilar subsystem in network 1200, e.g.) associates the phone numberwith one or more mobile devices operated by user 178.

Flow 3300 also describes an operation 30 of causing the first device todisplay a Boolean indication whether or not the second device is withina wireless local area network communication range of a third devicewithout a bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between thefirst device and the second device (e.g. notification module 1744triggering device 7102 to display a positive status indicationsignifying that device 7802 is within WLAN zone 7214 without firstestablishing a telephone call or similar bidirectional interpersonalcommunication between device 7102 and mobile device 7802). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which WLAN zone 7214 is establishedas an operating range of access point 1840, e.g.); in which a user ofdevice 7102 can initiate a telephone call or similar interpersonalcommunication to user 178 via device 7102 in response to one or moresuch indications; and in which user 178 would otherwise be unable toparticipate in such communication. When implemented in conjunction witha cost-shifting or other mobile connectivity facilitation protocol asdescribed herein, flow 3300 permits a cellular subscriber and anotherdevice user (with a wearable article or other mobile device that doesnot have an established cellular communications subscription accountassociated therewith, e.g.) to implement a basic communication service136 (a page or Boolean notification via an LED or earpiece/speaker,e.g.) that would not otherwise exist.

With reference again to FIG. 7A, there is shown a high-level logic flow3400 disclosed in FIG. 34 of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/731,907. Flow 3400 describes an operation 27 of obtaining a Booleanindication of whether or not a first device exceeded a wireless serviceboundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval, therecent time interval being less than an hour (e.g. detection module 1671generating a comparison result as a direct or indirect Booleanindication that a maximum crossing rate threshold was greater than anaverage rate at which a device 7822 had apparently crossed wirelessservice zone boundaries 7150, 7850 in a region during a particular timeinterval). This can occur, for example, in a context in which anaggregation module has received a series of several indications ofcrossing events; in which one or more of such indications was not“qualifying” (because it did not pertain to an event within the timeinterval, e.g.); in which the time interval is on the order of a secondor of a minute; and in which detection module 1671 (comprising acomparator, e.g.) compares a count of such other indications with athreshold. In an implementation of detection module 1671 in which thethreshold is four, for example, a count of three crossings will resultin a negative indication (signifying infrequent crossings, e.g.). Inanother context (in which only service region departures are“qualifying,” e.g.) detection module 1671 may generate a positiveindication (signifying frequent crossings, e.g.) by applying a nominalthreshold of two against a count of three (signifying a registrationmodule detecting departure events, e.g.). Other variants of detectionmodule 1671 may perform operation 27 using a variety of protocols. Acrossing rate threshold may be effectively adapted by applying one ormore offsets or multipliers to the count, for example, or by includingother quantitative modifiers as described herein. Alternatively oradditionally, detection module 1671 may implement conjunctivedeterminants, disjunctive determinants, or other such modes ofimplementing comparisons as indicated in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/731,907.

Flow 3400 also describes an operation 33 of signaling an availability toparticipate in a bidirectional interpersonal communicationconditionally, partly based on the Boolean indication whether or not thefirst device exceeded the wireless service boundary crossing ratethreshold within the recent time interval and partly based on a Booleanindication of the first device being within a wireless communicationrange of a second device (e.g. notification module 1743 causing aheadset 355 or display to provide a user 175 with an automatic andconditional decision as to whether or not device 7822 is currentlyavailable to participate in a bidirectional interpersonal communicationas communication service 136). This can occur, for example, in a contextin which device 7822 is the “first” device; in which access point 1810is the “second” device; in which the decision will be positive(signaling availability, e.g.) if device 7822 remains continuouslywithin the wireless service zone for longer than the time interval; inwhich the time interval is on the order of a second or of a minute; andin which much more resource-intensive modeling (requiring frequentmonitoring of satellite 1293 by a GPS module, e.g.) would otherwise berequired to determine whether the first device is currently viable forsuch a communication. In some variants, moreover, determiningavailability by another mode (purely by a ground speed of device 7822being low enough, e.g.) might generate false negatives unduly. Thedecision may (optionally) be signaled by a sound (a chord, e.g.) or by aword (“ready,” e.g.) or other displayed symbol (a light-emitting diodecoming on, e.g.), for example, or by other such expressions played ordisplayed in a vicinity of one or more users 175, 179, 180 (via eyewear354, a clip unit 353, wristwear 358, a headset 355, or other wearable orother device described herein, e.g.). Some such devices may beconfigured for downlink only, or may be associated with a smartphone orsimilar device 1000 (via a personal area network technology in the ISMband from 2400-2480 MHz such as Bluetooth®, e.g.) having a trackablelocation (by GPS, e.g.). Moreover in some embodiments a notificationmodule may signal a positive decision by establishing the bidirectionalinterpersonal communication (comprising a video chat session or similardialog, e.g.), moreover, or may signal a negative decision by doingnothing. When implemented in conjunction with a cost-shifting or othermobile connectivity facilitation protocol as described herein, flow 3400permits a cellular subscriber and another device user (with a wearablearticle or other mobile device 7822 that does not have an establishedcellular communications subscription account associated therewith, e.g.)to implement various communication services 135, 136 (a teleconferenceor portion thereof, e.g.) describe above.

With reference now to FIG. 7B, there is shown a high-level logic flow3500 disclosed in FIG. 35 of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/731,907. Flow 3500 describes an operation 26 of obtaining via a firstdevice configuration data establishing a first security protocol (e.g.input module 1684 receiving via one or more linkages a secure accesscode effectively deeming one or more data patterns to be “acceptable”).This can occur, for example, in a context in which such linkages includea signal-bearing conduit (an antenna or optical cable, e.g.) as the“first” device, via which a configuration unit transmits an access codeto a supervisor unit; and in which the access code includes a currentpassword provided by a password generation module. In some contexts, forexample, a secondary device remote from the supervisor unit may beconfigured to perform such transmissions regularly (daily, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, one or more instances of a configurationunit may implement an initial security-protocol-implementing datapattern (during manufacture of the supervisor unit, e.g.) for limitingaccess to one or more services (network resources, e.g.) prior to anyreconfiguration of the supervisor unit.

Flow 3500 also describes an operation 29 of obtaining via a seconddevice a wireless signal containing access request data (e.g. interfacemodule 1721 receiving a wireless signal containing access request data).This can occur, for example, in a context in which the “second” deviceis an antenna and in which device 2750 (in FIG. 3A) transmits a wirelesssignal as a response to input (key press events or voice commands, e.g.)from user 177 (initiating a telephone call, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, device 2750 may transmit access request data (requestingto establish an open channel, e.g.) as an automatic response to device2750 entering WLAN zone 7114 (comprising a wireless operating range ofaccess point 1820, e.g.).

Flow 3500 also describes an operation 31 of signaling a decision whetheror not to provide a first network access service via a third deviceresponsive to whether or not the access request data in the wirelesssignal matches the first security protocol (e.g. registration module1972 signaling a decision to provide device 2750 with a service thatincludes access to network 1200 via control module 3031 (in FIG. 3B) asan automatic and conditional response to an application moduledetermining that access request data (a password, e.g.) matches asecurity-protocol-implementing data pattern).

Flow 3500 also describes an operation 35 of signaling a decision whetheror not to provide a second network access service via the third deviceresponsive to whether or not the access request data matches a secondsecurity protocol, the third device implementing a firewall between thefirst network access service and the second network access service (e.g.allocation module 1642 signaling a conditional decision not to providean entity that transmits access request data with a servicecommunication service 135 that includes access to network 1200 as anautomatic and conditional response to an application module determiningthat access request data does not match security-protocol-implementingdata pattern). This can occur, for example, in a context in which NACunit 3030 is the “third” device; in which control module 3031 providesthe “second” device with access to network 1200 (as the “first” networkaccess service, e.g.); in which control module 3034 would simultaneouslyprovide a “fourth” device 962 with access to network 1200 (as the“second” network access service, e.g.) if the “fourth” device hadtransmitted suitable access request data; and in which the “first”network access service would otherwise need to be provided by a “fifth”device (base transceiver station 320, e.g.). In some contexts, forexample, control module 3032 may implement the firewall between the“first” and “second” network access services. Alternatively oradditionally, control module 3033 may be remotely configurable(implemented in an FPGA or non-volatile memory, e.g.) to permit anadjustment of the location of the firewall or otherwise control anallocation of resources in NAC unit 3030. When implemented inconjunction with a cost-shifting or other mobile connectivityfacilitation protocol as described herein, flow 3500 permits a cellularsubscriber and another device user (with a wearable article or othermobile device 7822 that does not have an established cellularcommunications subscription account associated therewith, e.g.) toimplement various communication services 135, 136 (a phone call orportion thereof, e.g.) that would not otherwise exist.

With reference again to FIG. 7B, there is shown a high-level logic flow3600 disclosed in FIG. 36 of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/731,907. Flow 3600 describes an operation 25 of obtaining anindication of a first wireless communication service having beenprovided within a first service region by a first device at an earliertime (e.g. aggregation module 1981 receiving a notification that mobiledevice 7821 was at particular GPS coordinates three weeks ago at whichtime a wireless service had been established between device 7821 andnetwork 1200 via access point 1830). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which access point 1830 is the “first” device; in which anotification arrived at aggregation module 1981 almost three weeks ago;in which aggregation module 1981 maintains status data about theavailability of wireless services within a region depicted by map 2330;and in which the status data includes an estimated position of accesspoint 1830 (determined by a detection module using GPS or othertriangulation protocols, e.g.) at the earlier time (three weeks ago,e.g.). In some contexts, for example, timing data (derived from a signalfrom an instance of device 7821 traveling across WLAN zones andmaintained in status data 2320, e.g.) may indicate where Wi-Fi wasoperative as of three weeks ago. Alternatively or additionally, statusdata 2320 may include indications of “latest” wireless service status inseveral zones near the most-recent estimated position of access point1830.

Flow 3500 also describes an operation 34 of signaling a decision whetheror not to indicate the first wireless communication service beingoperative within the first service region as an automatic andconditional response to an indication from a second device of the firstwireless communication service having been operative within the firstservice region or not at a later time (e.g. response module 185communicating to user 175 a decision that is responsive to a recentindication from device 7802 about one or more WLAN services beingoperative or inoperative within a vicinity of user 180). This can occur,for example, in a context in which mobile device 7802 is the “second”device and has transmitted service availability information at the“later” time (yesterday, e.g.) of which some is maintained (in statusdata 2320, e.g.); in which the decision is “negative” if it results indevice 7801 displaying a map version indicating that service isunavailable within part of a region; in which the decision is “positive”if it results in device 7801 displaying a map version indicating thatWLAN service is available throughout the region; and in which user 175would otherwise have to traverse the first service region personally todiscover whether or not WLAN service is still available there.Alternatively or additionally, such signals from various devices 2750,7101, 7801 traversing the region may be used (1) by a response moduleconfigured to determine an indication of an approximate range of eachaccess point 1810, 1820, 1830; (2) by a response module configured todetermine an indication of what times of the day or week a WLAN accesspoint goes offline; (3) by a response module configured to determine aBoolean indication whether or not one of the access points 1810 appearsto be stationary; (4) by a response module configured to determine aBoolean indication of whether or not one of the access points issubstantially isotropic; (5) by a response module configured to displayvia a map of a user interface a cost-indicative service boundaryrelating to a prospective interpersonal communication; or (6) to performsuch functions upon other devices described herein. When implemented inconjunction with a cost-shifting or other mobile connectivityfacilitation protocol as described herein, flow 3600 permits a cellularsubscriber and another device user (with a wearable article or othermobile device 7802 that does not have an established cellularcommunications subscription account associated therewith, e.g.) toimplement various communication services 135, 136 (a phone call orportion thereof, e.g.) as described above.

In many contexts, a widespread implementation of one or more such flows3200, 3300, 3400, 3500, 3600 into a wireless communications marketplacewill entice cellular carriers to provide limited support forcommunications with anonymous devices (wearable articles operable toreceive user data but not to send any user data, e.g.) or with devicesbelonging to non-subscribers as described herein. “Part cellular” callsas described above can facilitate offloading of a congested cellularnetwork, for example. Interpersonal communications between users viaalternatively technologies (direct interaction between a satellite 1293and a satellite radio or mobile device 1000) may also achieve morewidespread adoption. Moreover alternative wireless communication serviceproviders (having much lower monthly subscription fees, e.g.) may enterthe mobile marketplace on a larger scale.

Alternatively or additionally, in some variants, a cellular carriersubscriber (a telemarketer or other user 175, e.g.) may be able toconfigure his account to provide an additional enticement (in minutes orother currency, e.g.) for a user of another device to accept acommunication. In some variants a recipient of a call or message 137 mayrequire such enticement, or may set a threshold specifying aquantification (a threshold of $1 per call, e.g.) below which nocommunication service 136 can be established. Some variants may includea third party sponsor (a retailer, e.g.) who provides free access toparticipants in a part-cellular communication whenever one of theparties to the communication is at a specific retail location (a pointof sale, e.g.).

In some contexts, a cellular carrier may permit communication servicesto non-subscribers only in contexts of very low usage (implementing aguardbanded local network loading threshold, for example, one thatinterrupts such service earlier than the loading threshold imposed uponsubscribers, so that subscribers will effectively receive preferentialaccess via MSC 600).

Referring again to FIG. 1 in light of scenarios described above, eachsuch device may include an account update module 120 including orotherwise operably coupled (via a wireless linkage, e.g.) with otherdepicted components of apparatus 100. Cohort identification module 142,for example, may be configured to allocate one or more cost componentsto a subscriber account, as described above, as an automatic andconditional response to one or more communication services 135, 136being initiated. In some variants, moreover, such services may notresult in any cost component thereof being allocated to thenon-subscribing user who participates in the communication. In somevariants, service request handling module 143 may likewise allocate suchcost components to a subscribing user as an automatic and conditionalresponse to the non-subscriber's device initiating the communicationservice. This can occur in a context in which the subscribing userauthorized such communication earlier, for example, or in response to aprompt provided at the time of the service request. Alternatively oradditionally a service request handling module 144 (an anonymousincoming call handling module, e.g.) may initiate such communicationservices without having received any indication of a participatingdevice 1000 being associated with any account.

In light of teachings herein, moreover, numerous existing techniques maybe applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for configuring a wearable article for user-initiatedcommunication as described herein without undue experimentation. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,340,476 (“Electronic acquisition of a hand formedexpression and a context of the expression”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,262(“Method of selecting a second content based on a user's reaction to afirst content of at least two instances of displayed content”); U.S.Pat. No. 8,150,796 (“Methods and systems for inducing behavior in apopulation cohort”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,126,867 (“Returning a secondcontent based on a user's reaction to a first content”); U.S. Pat. No.8,104,892 (“Vision modification with reflected image”); U.S. Pat. No.8,094,009 (“Health-related signaling via wearable items”); U.S. Pat. No.8,065,404 (“Layering destination-dependent content handling guidance”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,930,389 (“Adaptive filtering of annotated messages orthe like”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,733,223 (“Effectively documentingirregularities in a responsive user's environment”).

With reference now to FIG. 41, shown is an example of a system 4100 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. A wearable article(earpiece 4167, e.g.) is operably coupled with a handheld device 2760that includes one or more instances of initiation modules 4171, 4172,4173, 4174 or of response modules 4181, 4182, 4183, 4184, 4185, 4186.When in use (by user 4101, e.g.) device 2760 may be operably coupled viaa first channel (comprising a WLAN or other wireless linkage 4151 and awall-mounted device 4150 in region 4155 and a second linkage 4152, e.g.)to one or more other devices in network 4190. Alternatively oradditionally, device 2760 may (optionally) be operably coupled via asecond channel (comprising a wireless linkage 4161 and a device 4160comprising a vehicle implementing a mobile hotspot in region 4165 and asecond linkage 4162, e.g.) to network 4190.

With reference now to FIG. 42, shown is another example of a system 4200in which one or more technologies may be implemented. Primary device4210 (a vehicle or router or integrated circuit, e.g.) may include oneor more instances of a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU)4212 (comprising an internal cache 4215, e.g.); of non-volatile memories4241, 4242, 4243 (a phase-change memory 4231 or removable memory 4232,e.g.); or of volatile memories 4261, 4262 (a cache 4255, e.g.). In somevariants, secondary device 4220 may include one or more instances ofCPUs 4222, non-volatile memories 4271, volatile memories 4272, orconfiguration units 4280. One or both of primary and secondary devices4210, 4220 may be a tablet computer or smartphone (device 2760, e.g.)with an Android operating system and an antenna 4205 configure tofacilitate a wireless linkage 4295 between them.

With reference now to FIG. 3, shown is another example of a system 300in which one or more technologies may be implemented. A circuit board360 includes several integrated circuits (ICs) 361, 362, 363, 364, 365,366. Integrated circuitry 310 within IC 361, for example, includestransistors 351, 352 each formed onto a single dielectric substrate 307.Transistor 351, for example, comprises a control terminal (a gate orbase, e.g.) at node 342 and two end terminals (at nodes 341, 343) asshown. Such formation may be achieved by a series of severallithographic processes (chemical and thermal and optical treatments forapplying and treating and etching dielectrics or dopants or othermaterials, e.g.). Many millions of such transistors 351, 352 are linkedin a network of signal-bearing conduits 308 (forked or other serpentinesignal traces, e.g.) according to intricate circuit designs formed ofcircuit blocks (initiation modules 4171-4174 and response modules4181-4186, e.g.) of a same general type as those described herein. Evenamong the relatively complex circuit blocks presented herein in context,however, many such blocks (excluding a variety of components such asantenna 4205, e.g.) are linked by electrical nodes 341, 342, 343, 344each having a corresponding nominal voltage level 311, 312, 313, 314that is spatially uniform generally throughout the node (within a deviceor local system as described herein, e.g.). Such nodes (lines on anintegrated circuit or circuit board 360, e.g.) may each comprise aforked or other signal path (adjacent one or more transistors 351, 352,e.g.). Moreover many Boolean values (yes-or-no decisions, e.g.) may eachbe manifested as either a “low” or “high” voltage, for example,according to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS),emitter-coupled logic (ECL), or other common semiconductor configurationprotocol. In some contexts, for example, one skilled in the art willrecognize an “electrical node set” as used herein in reference to one ormore electrically conductive nodes upon which a voltage configuration(of one voltage at each node, for example, with each voltagecharacterized as either high or low) manifests a yes/no decision orother digital data.

With reference now to FIG. 4, shown is another view of the mobile device2760 introduced in FIG. 41 in which a speaker 442, camera 443, anddisplay 445 (touchscreen, e.g.) are visible. Also within device 2760 asshown is at least an integrated circuit 440 and a power source 441(rechargeable battery, e.g.). A few of the electrical nodes thereof(comprising pads 435 along the sides as shown, e.g.) provide externalconnectivity (for power or ground or input signals or output signals,e.g.) via bonding wires, not shown. Significant blocks of integratedcircuitry 310 on integrated circuit 440 include special-purpose modules425, 428 (comprising a sensor or other hard-wired special-purposecircuitry as described below, e.g.); and different structures of memory431, 432 (volatile or non-volatile, e.g.) interlinked by numeroussignal-bearing conduits 308 (each comprising an internal node, e.g.) andotherwise configured as described below. See FIGS. 6 & 26.

With reference now to FIG. 5, shown is another example of a system inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented comprising a schematicview of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 540. ASIC 540may (optionally) include a queue 570 (implemented in a volatile memory4272, 432, e.g.) comprising a series of items 571, 572, 573 (data blocksor tasks, e.g.) for handling (by a central processing unit 4222 or othercore, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which ASIC 540implements secondary device 4220 or IC 363. Alternatively oradditionally, ASIC 540 may include a queue 580 (implemented innon-volatile memory 431 or volatile memory 4272, e.g.) comprising aseries of items 581, 582, 583 (data blocks or tasks, e.g.) forprocessing (by a hard-wired special-purpose module 425 orgeneral-purpose CPU 4212 configured to execute special-purpose software,e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, special-purpose modulesspecifically identified herein (as circuitry in FIGS. 6-14, e.g.) may beimplemented selectively by configuration (in a field-programmable gatearray, e.g.) by a remote device (via a wireless linkage 4162, e.g.)under various circumstances as described below. In some variants, forexample, a gate array (comprising integrated circuit 366, e.g.) mayimplement an FFT module 591, 592 or sorting module 594, 595 or detectionmodule 598, 599 in a manifestation that is remotely reconfigurable. Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which other such functionalimplementations (a rarely used FFT module 592, e.g.) are currentlyeither omitted or manifested as software instead (as a module residentin a memory and executable by a core, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 6, shown is an example of a system 600 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. Control logic 610 may (optionally) include one or moreinstances of temperature sensors 608 having a corresponding state 618(current temperature, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, controllogic 610 may (optionally) include one or more instances of ageneral-purpose multimodal cores 635 configured to process instructionsin one of the following modes: an “error-tolerant” operating mode 630(relative to the other modes, e.g.) or a “high-latency” operating mode631 (relative to the other modes, e.g.) or a “high-performance”operating mode 632 (relative to the other modes, e.g.). In some contextsa multimodal core 635 may also be configured to do nothing (in an “idle”or “off” mode, e.g.) or to operate in some other mode instead (a“normal” mode, e.g.). As further explained below, in some contexts,control logic 610 may likewise include one or more instances (1) ofspecial-purpose circuitry configured to cause a data component of awireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in ahandheld device as an automatic and conditional response to a thermalstate of a temperature sensor in the handheld device 671; (2) ofspecial-purpose circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or notto cause a configurable core to change core operating modes as anautomatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperaturesensor 672; or (3) of special-purpose circuitry configured to cause aconfigurable core to draw from a data queue of a particular device 681,682, 683.

Several variants described herein refer to device-detectable“implementations” such as one or more instances of computer-readablecode, transistor or latch connectivity layouts or other geometricexpressions of logical elements, firmware or software expressions oftransfer functions implementing computational specifications, digitalexpressions of truth tables, or the like. Such instances can, in someimplementations, include source code or other human-readable portions.Alternatively or additionally, functions of implementations describedherein may constitute one or more device-detectable outputs such asdecisions, manifestations, side effects, results, coding or otherexpressions, displayable images, data files, data associations,statistical correlations, streaming signals, intensity levels,frequencies or other measurable attributes, packets or other encodedexpressions, or the like from invoking or monitoring the implementationas described herein.

In some embodiments, a “state” of a component may comprise “available”or some other such state-descriptive labels, an event count or othersuch memory values, a partial depletion or other such physical propertyof a supply device, a voltage, or any other such conditions orattributes that may change between two or more possible valuesirrespective of device location. Such states may be received directly asa measurement or other detection, in some variants, and/or may beinferred from a component's behavior over time. A distributed or othercomposite system may comprise vector-valued device states, moreover,which may affect dispensations or departures in various ways asexemplified herein.

“Automatic,” “conditional,” “curated,” “detectable,” “handheld,”“rooted,” “bidirectional,” “effective,” “employed,” “explicit,” “in avicinity,” “local,” “wireless,” “portable,” “mobile,” “recent,”“incrementally,” “multiple,” “objective,” “interpersonal,” “ad hoc,”“single,” “between,” “particular,” “isotropic,” “thermal,” “within,”“passive,” “partly,” “prior,” “proximate,” “associated,” “audible,”“received,” “remote,” “responsive,” “earlier,” “resident,” “later,”“operative,” “selective,” “specific,” “special-purpose,” “caused,”“stationary,” “between,” “matching,” “significant,” “inadequate,”“common,” “unlocked,” “temporary,” or other such descriptors herein areused in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unlesscontext dictates otherwise. In light of the present disclosure thoseskilled in the art will understand from context what is meant by“vicinity,” by being “in” a region or “within” a range, by “remote,” andby other such positional descriptors used herein. Terms like“processor,” “center,” “unit,” “computer,” or other such descriptorsherein are used in their normal sense, in reference to an inanimatestructure. Such terms do not include any people, irrespective of theirlocation or employment or other association with the thing described,unless context dictates otherwise. “For” is not used to articulate amere intended purpose in phrases like “circuitry for” or “instructionfor,” moreover, but is used normally, in descriptively identifyingspecial purpose software or structures.

In some embodiments a “manual” occurrence includes, but is not limitedto, one that results from one or more actions consciously taken by adevice user in real time. Conversely an “automatic” occurrence is notaffected by any action consciously taken by a device user in real timeexcept where context dictates otherwise.

In some embodiments, “signaling” something can include identifying,contacting, requesting, selecting, or indicating the thing. In somecases a signaled thing is susceptible to fewer than all of theseaspects, of course, such as a task definition that cannot be“contacted.”

In some embodiments, “status indicative” data can reflect a trend orother time-dependent phenomenon. Alternatively or additionally, a statusindicative data set can include portions that have no bearing upon suchstatus. Although some types of distillations can require authority orsubstantial expertise, many other types of distillations can readily beimplemented without undue experimentation in light of teachings herein.

In some embodiments, “causing” events can include triggering, producingor otherwise directly or indirectly bringing the events to pass. Thiscan include causing the events remotely, concurrently, partially, orotherwise as a “cause in fact,” whether or not a more immediate causealso exists.

Some descriptions herein refer to an “indication whether” an event hasoccurred. An indication is “positive” if it indicates that the event hasoccurred, irrespective of its numerical sign or lack thereof. Whetherpositive or negative, such indications may be weak (i.e. slightlyprobative), definitive, or many levels in between. In some cases the“indication” may include a portion that is indeterminate, such as anirrelevant portion of a useful photograph.

Some descriptions herein refer to a “device” or other physical article.A physical “article” described herein may be a long fiber, a transistor351, a submarine, or any other such contiguous physical object. An“article” may likewise be a portion of a device as described herein(part of a memory 432 or a speaker 442 of a smartphone, e.g.) or amechanically coupled grouping of devices (a tablet computer with aremovable memory 4232 and earpiece 4167 attached, e.g.) as describedherein, except where context dictates otherwise. A communication“linkage” may refer to a unidirectional or bidirectional signal path viaone or more articles (antennas 4205 or other signal-bearing conduit 308,e.g.) except where context dictates otherwise. Such linkages may, insome contexts, pass through a free space medium or a network 4190. SeeFIGS. 17 & 28.

With reference now to FIG. 7, shown is an example of a system (networksubsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented.Contiguous or other event-sequencing logic 710 may (optionally) includeone or more instances of activation modules 708, 709; of dual-mode cores711, 712 (each having a lower-voltage operating mode 721 and ahigher-voltage operating mode 722, e.g.); or of other cores 731, 732,733. In some contexts event-sequencing logic 710 (implemented in acircuit board 360 or ASIC 540, e.g.) may also include one or moreinstances of Boolean values 741-745 or of scalar quantities (a volume706 or other quantification expressed in a plurality of electricalnodes, e.g.) each expressed as one or more bits. See FIGS. 2, 3, and20-23 (depicting data-handling media suitable for expressing suchindividual values digitally, e.g.). Also as further explained below, insome contexts, event-sequencing logic 710 may include one or moreinstances (1) of special-purpose circuitry configured to signal adecision of how many cores to draw simultaneously from a single dataqueue of a mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to anindication of a data volume of the data queue crossing a volumethreshold 751, 752 or (2) of special-purpose circuitry configured tosignal a decision whether or not to cause a configurable core to changecore operating modes as an automatic and conditional response to anindication of a data volume of a data queue crossing a volume threshold761, 762.

With reference now to FIG. 8, shown is an example of a system 800 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Event-sequencinglogic 810 may manifest one or more instances (a) of circuitry configuredto cause a sorting module in an FPGA of a mobile device to process adata component of a wireless signal after a configuration component ofthe wireless signal causes the FPGA to implement the sorting module 861,862; (b) of an FPGA 870; (c) of configuration components 881 or datacomponents 882 of a signal; or (d) of event-sequencing logic 710. Insome contexts, for example, FPGA 870 may be configured or reconfiguredto implement a sorting module 875 (a bubble sort utility, e.g.) or othersuch utility modules as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 9, shown is an example of a system 900 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. A password generationmodule 986 or other configuration unit 980 (implemented in network 990,e.g.) is operably coupled to event-sequencing logic 910 via a wirelessLAN or other linkage 995. Contiguous or other event-sequencing logic 910comprises one or more instances (a) of electrical nodes 921, 922, 923,924, 925, 926, 927, 928; (b) of circuitry configured to obtain via anantenna configuration data establishing a security protocol 931, 932; or(c) of circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not toindicate a wireless communication service provided within a region by adevice as a response to an indication from another device of thewireless communication service being operative within the region 941.

With reference now to FIG. 10, shown is an example of a system in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. Event-sequencing logic 1010may manifest (as a general-purpose processing core executing software orin an FPGA 870 implemented in a mobile device, e.g.) one or moreinstances (a) of circuitry configured to signal a decision whether ornot to provide a network access service responsive to whether or notaccess request data satisfies a security protocol 1021, 1022, 1023; (b)of circuitry configured to establish both a wireless communicationchannel via a first device and from a second device and a wirelesscommunication channel from the second device and via a third device1031, 1032; or (c) of application modules 1041, 1042, 1043, 1044.Alternatively or additionally, event-sequencing logic 1010 (implementedin a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540, e.g.) may include one or moredata-handling media 1050 containing one or more instances of commands1068 or of patterns 1071, 1072 or of protocol implementation code 1088,1089 or other device-executable code 1085. In some variants, moreover,such logic may be operably coupled via linkage 1095 with a wide areanetwork 1090 (comprising one or more satellites 1093, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 11, shown is an example of a system 1100 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. Event-sequencing logic 1110 may manifest (as ageneral-purpose processing core executing software or in a mixed-signalor other FPGA 870 implemented in a mobile device, e.g.) one or moreinstances (a) of capture modules 1121 configured to capture audio clips;(b) of capture modules 1121 configured to capture video clips; (c) ofglobal positioning system (GPS) modules 1122 configured to annotatewireless signals with position data; (d) of speech recognition modules;(e) of text-to-speech translation modules 1124; (f) of digital-to-analogconverters 1125, 1126; (f) of decryption modules 1131, 1132; (g) ofcircuitry configured to signal a decision of how much user data totransmit via a communication channel responsive to an indication that adata block delivery failure rate of the communication channel exceeds athreshold 1141, 1142; (h) of decoding modules 1151, 1152; (i) ofcomparators 1161, 1162; (j) of aggregation modules 1171, 1172, 1173,1174; or (k) of transmission modules 1181, 1182, 1183, 1184. In somecontexts, for example, event-sequencing logic 1110 may be implemented ina circuit board 360 or ASIC 540.

With reference now to FIG. 12, shown is an example of a system 1200 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Contiguous or otherevent-sequencing logic 1210 may manifest (in an FPGA 870 or as ageneral-purpose processing core executing software, e.g.) one or moreinstances (a) of circuitry configured to receive a wireless signalcontaining access request data 1201, 1202; (b) of circuitry configuredto cause a first device to display a Boolean indication whether or not asecond device is within a WLAN communication range of a third devicewithout a bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between thefirst device and the second device 1221, 1222; or (c) of microphones1217. Alternatively or additionally, event-sequencing logic 1210 mayinclude data-handling media 1270 (of storage or guided transmission ordisplay, e.g.) containing a list 1250 of two or more records 1261, 1262,1263. Each such record may include one or more instances of avatars 1251or other identifications 1252 (representing a person or device known toa user, e.g.); of status indications 1253, 1254; or of other such data1255 as described below. In some contexts, for example, event-sequencinglogic 1210 may be implemented in a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540.

With reference now to FIG. 13, shown is an example of a system 1300 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Event-sequencinglogic 1310 may include various memories 431, 432 or other data-handlingmedia 1350 containing one or more instances of data 1301, 1302, 1303,1304; of digitally expressed times 1311, 1312, 1313, 1314; of signals1321, 1322, 1323, 1324; of services 1331, 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335; or ofindications 1341, 1342, 1343, 1344, 1345 as described below.Alternatively or additionally, event-sequencing logic 1310 may manifest(in an FPGA 870 or as a general-purpose processing core executingsoftware, e.g.) one or more instances (a) of circuitry configured toimplement a firewall separating two or more network access servicesprovided via a single device 1371 or (b) of circuitry configured toobtain an indication of a wireless communication service having beenprovided within a service region 1372. In some variants, moreover, suchlogic may be operably coupled via linkage 1395 with a wireless localarea network 1390 (comprising one or more servers 1396, e.g.). In somecontexts, for example, event-sequencing logic 1310 may be implemented ina circuit board 360 or ASIC 540.

With reference now to FIG. 14, shown is an example of a system 1400 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. User interface 1410 may include various data-handling media1450 (of storage or guided transmission or display, e.g.) containing oneor more instances of decisions 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1405; of results1411, 1412, 1413; of digitally expressed volumes 1416; of intervals1421, 1422, 1423; of notifications 1425; or of other such expressions1431, 1432 (comprising sequences 1435 of symbols, e.g.). In somevariants, moreover, user interface 1410 may manifest (in an FPGA 870 oras a general-purpose processing core executing software, e.g.) one ormore instances (a) of circuitry configured to obtain at one device anidentifier of another device 1481; (b) of circuitry configured to signalan availability to participate in a telephonic communication responsiveto a Boolean indication of a device being within a wirelesscommunication range of another device 1482; or (c) of circuitryconfigured to detect an availability to participate in a telephoniccommunication responsive to a Boolean indication whether or not a deviceexceeded a boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent timeinterval 1483. In some contexts, for example, user interface 1410 mayinclude a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540 as described above.

With reference now to FIG. 15, shown is an example of a system 1500 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Device 1530 maycommunicate via linkage 1531 with a vehicle 1510 (optionallyimplementing a mobile hotspot, e.g.) operated by user 1502 or with ahandheld device 2760 operated by user 1501 (via a WLAN or other wirelesslinkage 1536, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, device 1530 may(optionally) include one or more instances of FPGA 1540 configured tofacilitate network management as described below. In some contexts, forexample, device 1530 may include a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540 asdescribed above.

With reference now to FIG. 16, shown is an example of a system 1600 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. Supervisor unit 1630 (instantiated in a vehicle 1510 orother device, e.g.) includes one or more instances of allocation modules1641, 1642; of detection modules 1671, 1672, 1673, 1674; or of inputmodules 1681, 1682, 1683, 1684 as described below. In some contexts, forexample, supervisor unit 1630 may include a circuit board 360 or ASIC540 as described above.

With reference now to FIG. 17, shown is an example of a system 1700comprising a portable or other device 1750 in a communication network1790 (an ad hoc or mesh network, e.g.) in which one or more technologiesmay be implemented. Numerous other devices 1752, 1754, 1756, 1758, 1760,1762, 1764, 1766, 1768, 1770, 1772, 1774, 1776, 1778, 1780, 1782, 1784,1786 (each comprising a cell tower or handheld device or vehicle orother portable device, e.g.) are linked via various passive-medialinkages 1771 (through air or cables, e.g.). In various implementations,device 1750 may (optionally) include one or more instances of interfacemodules 1721, 1722, 1723, 1724, 1725, 1726; of response modules 1731,1732, 1733, 1734, 1735, 1736, 1737, 1738, 1739; or of notificationmodules 1741, 1742, 1743, 1744, 1745, 1746 described below.Alternatively or additionally, one or more devices 1754, 1786(implemented as supervisor units having access to one or more databasesdefining service characteristics pertaining to a local jurisdiction,e.g.) may be configured to send configuration data (extracted orotherwise derived from such databases, e.g.) manifesting wirelesschannel attributes (implementing power and frequency limitationsrelating to regulatory specifications, e.g.) to other devices in network1790, effectively specifying how they are to reconfigure themselves. SeeFIGS. 18-23. Such adjustments can be used for congestion relief (duringpeak usage times, e.g.), for example, or for other resource managementas described herein. In some contexts, for example, such devices 1750may include a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540 as described above.

With reference now to FIG. 18, shown is an example of a system 1800 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Event-sequencinglogic 1810 (implemented in a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540, e.g.) mayinclude one or more instances of FPGAs 1870 or of configurationcomponents 1841 and data components 1842 of signals. In some contexts,for example, an FPGA 1820 may be configured or reconfigured to include aFast Fourier Transform (FFT) module 1823 or other event-sequencingstructures as described below. Moreover some variants ofevent-sequencing logic 1810 may locally manifest one or more instancesof circuitry configured to cause an FFT module in an FPGA of a mobiledevice to process a data component of a wireless signal after aconfiguration component of another wireless signal causes the FPGA toimplement the FFT module 1881, 1882.

With reference now to FIG. 19, shown is an example of a system 1900 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Device 1910(instantiated in one or more devices 1754, 1764 of network 1790, e.g.)may include one or more instances of key press events 1931, 1932 orother such user input 1940 (manifested digitally, e.g.); ofinterpersonal communications 1961, 1962, 1963 (calls 1951 or sessions1952 or dialogs 1953, e.g.); of registration modules 1971, 1972, 1973,1974; or of aggregation modules 1981, 1982. Such devices 1910 may beoperably coupled via a wireless or other linkage 1995 with telephonenetwork 1990 (comprising one or more telephone switches 1996, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, such devices 1910 may comprise one ormore antennas 1905 (parabolic or shortwave or whip or Yagi-Uda ormetamaterial antennas, for example, instantiated in FIG. 17 mechanicallycoupled with most or all of devices 1750, 1752, 1754, 1756, 1758, 1760,1762, 1764, 1766, 1768, 1770, 1772, 1774, 1776, 1778, 1780, 1782, 1784,1786). In some contexts, for example, device 1910 may include a circuitboard 360 or ASIC 540 as described above.

In some variants, primary device 4210 comprises a circuit board 360 uponwhich a metamaterial antenna system is constructed. In light ofteachings herein, in fact, numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor implementing such antennas for use as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,299,967 (“Non planarmetamaterial antenna structures”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,081,138 (“Antennastructure with antenna radome and method for rising gain thereof”); U.S.Pat. No. 8,072,291 (“Compact dual band metamaterial based hybrid ringcoupler”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,847,739 (“Antennas based on metamaterialstructures”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,218,190 (“Waveguides and scatteringdevices incorporating epsilon-negative and/or mu-negative slabs”); U.S.Pat. No. 6,958,729 (“Phased array metamaterial antenna system”); U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/925,511 (“Metamaterial surfaces”); U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/220,703 (“Emitting and negativelyrefractive focusing apparatus methods and systems”); and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/156,443 (“Focusing and sensing apparatus methodsand systems”).

With reference now to FIG. 20, shown is an example of a system 2000 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. One or more media2010 (of storage or guided transmission or display, e.g.) may containone or more instances of digitally expressed fractions 2011, 2012; ofconfiguration data 2015; of coordinates 2021, 2022; of passwords 2035,2036 or other access codes 2031, 2032; of signals 2051, 2052, 2053,2054, 2055, 2056, 2057, 2058, 2059; of indications 2071, 2072, 2073,2074, 2075, 2076, 2077, 2078, 2079; of thresholds 2081, 2082, 2083,2084, 2085, 2086, 2087, 2088, 2089; of clips 2090 (of video or audiodata, e.g.); or of rates 2091, 2092, 2093, 2094, 2095, 2096.

With reference now to FIG. 21, shown is an example of a system 2100 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. One or more memoriesor other media 2110 may contain one or more instances of indicators2102, 2103; of series 2125 of data blocks 2121, 2122, 2123 of auditorydata 2120 (primarily having been obtained via a microphone, e.g.); or ofseries 2135 of data blocks 2131, 2132, 2133 of encrypted data 2130.Other user data 2150 of interest for present purposes may (optionally)include other encrypted data 2130, video or other image data; orcomputational modeling data (pertaining to meteorology or research,e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 22, shown is an example of a system 2200 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. One or more memoriesor other media 2210 (of storage or guided transmission or display, e.g.)may comprise one or more instances of informational models 2201; ofimages 2251; of decisions 2221, 2222, 2223, 2224, 2225, 2226, 2227,2228; of indications 2271, 2272, 2273, 2274, 2275, 2276, 2277, 2278,2279; of services 2281, 2282, 2283, 2284; of phone numbers 2285 or othersuch identifiers 2286; of percentages 2291, 2292, 2293; of hardwaredescription language (HDL or VHDL, e.g.) expressions 2296, 2297; or ofcounts 2298, 2299. Image 2251, for example, depicts virtual regions2255, 2265 relating to actual regions 4155, 4165 as generally describedbelow (with reference to FIG. 41, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 23, shown is an example of a system in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. One or more memories orother media 2310 may comprise one or more instances of informationalmodels 2301; of status data 2320; of maps 2330 or segments 2337 thereof;or of versions 2361, 2362, 2363 (of an image or other expression ofmodel 2301, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, such status data may(optionally) include one or more records 2327, 2328, 2329 eachcomprising one or more expressions (1) of times 2311, (2) of positions2312, or (3) of shape-descriptive information 2313 relating to one ormore wireless service regions or devices. Several non-overlapping zones2351, 2352, 2353, 2354, 2355, 2356 are shown. Some zones 2351, 2354,2355 together form a circular region centered at position 2341,containing several identified positions 2347, 2348, 2349, and having aradius 2345 representing a real-world radius on the order (within anorder of magnitude) of ten meters or of one kilometer. Another version2362 depicts position 2349 outside a region (comprising zones 2352,2354) of service 1331. Another version 2363 depicts position 2349 withina region (comprising zones 2351, 2352, 2354, 2355) of service 1331 butnot within an overlapping region (comprising zones 2353, 2355) ofservice 1332. Such versions depict various states (including Wi-Fiservice outages, e.g.), modes of model updates, or cost-indicativedepictions of such services as generally described below (with referenceto FIG. 31, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 24, shown is an example of a system in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. Event-sequencing logic 2410may bear (as a digital expression, e.g.) one or more instances ofdecryption code 2425 or signals 2430. In a context in whichevent-sequencing logic 2410 includes one or more digital or analogspeedometers 2420 (instantiated in one or more vehicles 1510 or othermobile devices 2760, 4160, e.g.), for example, such signals may comprisedata indicating a ground speed or a geographic position (of GPS module1122 or other event-sequencing logic 1110, 2410, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, such signals may include one or more instances of controlparameters 2431 or of data segments 2432, 2433, 2434 (user data, e.g.).In some variants, moreover, event-sequencing logic 2410 (instantiated inone or more devices 1000, 1750, 1772 of network 1790, e.g.) may manifest(in an FPGA 870, 1540, 1870 or as a general-purpose processing coreexecuting software, e.g.) one or more instances (a) of circuitryconfigured to cause a data component of a wireless signal to beprocessed by a special-purpose module in a mobile device as an automaticand conditional response to a control component of the wireless signal2471, 2472 or (b) of circuitry configured to cause first content of awireless signal to pass through a first memory of an integrated circuitif second content of the wireless signal satisfies a first criterion andotherwise to cause the first content to pass through a second memory ofthe integrated circuit 2481, 2482. In some contexts, for example,event-sequencing logic 2410 may be implemented in a circuit board 360 orASIC 540 as described above.

With reference now to FIG. 25, shown is an example of a system in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. Contiguous or otherevent-sequencing logic 2510 (instantiated in one or more devices 1758,1768, 1778 of network 1790, e.g.) may include (in an FPGA 870, 1540,1870 or as a general-purpose processing core executing software, e.g.)one or more instances (a) of circuitry configured to detect a series ofservice region departure events 2501; (b) of circuitry configured toimplement a specific positional model that represents both an isotropicradiator and an anisotropic radiator 2502; (c) of circuitry configuredto decrease a dataflow through a wireless communication channelincrementally 2503; (d) of circuitry remote from a user configured tosignal a result via a device local to the user 2504; (e) of circuitryconfigured to signal a decision whether or not to transmit any user datavia a first communication channel 2505; (f) of circuitry configured totransmit user data via an ad hoc network 2506; (g) of circuitryconfigured to signal a decision whether or not to adjust a latencythreshold for user data 2507; (h) of circuitry configured to map acost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospectiveintercommunication 2508; or (i) of circuitry configured to compare adata block delivery failure rate against a threshold 2509. In somecontexts, for example, event-sequencing logic 2510 may be implemented ina circuit board 360 or ASIC 540 as described above.

With reference now to FIG. 26, shown is an example of a system 2600 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Detection unit 2610may (optionally) include one or more instances of processing modules2641, 2642, 2643, 2644; of configuration modules 2671, 2672, 2673, 2674,2675, 2676, 2677, 2678; or of a charging sensor 2607 configured toindicate a charging state 2617 (as a Boolean or digital scalarexpression, e.g.) of a battery 2615. In some variants, moreover,detection unit 2610 may manifest (on a circuit board 360 or as softwareexecuted by a processing core, e.g.) one or more instances of circuitryconfigured to signal a decision whether or not to cause a configurablecore to draw from a first data queue in a second core operating mode asan automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery2681 or of circuitry configured to cause a data component of a wirelesssignal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a portable deviceas an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of abattery 2682. In some contexts, for example, detection unit 2610 may beimplemented in or operably coupled with a circuit board 360 or ASIC 540as described above.

With reference now to FIG. 27, shown is an example of a system 2700 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. At least two parallelcommunication channels 2770, 2780 are established between endpointdevices 2750, 2760 so that an interpersonal communication can occurbetween device users 1501, 2701. This permits a signal 2757, forexample, to travel via linkage 2767 and via one or more intermediatedevices 2771, 2772 comprising channel 2770. Likewise a signal 2758 cantravel via linkage 2768 and via one or more intermediate devices 2781,2782 comprising channel 2780. In some variants, moreover, ASIC 540 maybe configured either (a) so that channel 2770 includes queue 570 and sothat channel 2780 includes queue 580 or (b) so that two or more channels2770, 2780 are simultaneously processed each through a respectiveintegrated circuit (instances of gate arrays or other IC's 365, 366mounted on circuit board 360, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 32, shown is a high-level logic flow 3200 ofan operational process. Operation 28 describes establishing both awireless communication channel via a first device and from a seconddevice and a wireless communication channel from the second device andvia a third device (e.g. initiation modules 4171, 4172 respectivelycreating parallel communication channels 2770, 2780 from device 2760,each including at least one wireless linkage 2767, 2768). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which device 2771 (instantiated inone or more devices 1772, 1774 of network 1790, e.g.) is the “first”device; in which device 2760 (instantiated in one or more devices 1000,1750, 1756, 1774 of network 1790, e.g.) is the “second” device; in whichdevice 2782 is the “third” device; in which channel 2770 comprises oneor more devices 2771, 2772 via which signals 2057, 2757 can travel (toand from device 2760, e.g.); in which channel 2780 comprises one or moredevices 2781, 2782 via which signals 2058, 2758 can likewise travel inboth directions; and in which such channels 2770, 2780 existsimultaneously. In a telephonic implementation, for example, suchchannels 2770, 2780 may both bear digitized auditory data 2120simultaneously, optionally including a particular component of user data2150 (block 2123, e.g.) passing simultaneously through a primary channel2770 (as signal 2757, e.g.) and redundantly through another channel 2780(as signal 2758, e.g.).

Operation 32 describes signaling a decision of how much user data totransmit via the wireless communication channel from the second deviceand via the third device responsive to an indication that a data blockdelivery failure rate of the wireless communication channel via thefirst device and from the second device exceeds a failure rate threshold(e.g. allocation module 1641 causing one or more transmission modules1181, 1182 to increase a fraction 2012 of digitized auditory data 2120transmitted via channel 2780 as an incremental response to an indication2076 that a data block delivery failure rate 2091 of channel 2770exceeds a threshold 2081). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich the incremental response causes a partial reduction in a volume ofdata block delivery failure events; in which data block delivery failurerate 2091 describes a percentage 2291 of data blocks 2121, 2122, 2123transmitted via linkage 2767 that do not pass via an antenna of device2771 or that do not reach device 2750 within a permissible latencythreshold 2082; in which a volatile memory 4262 of supervisor unit 1630(instantiated in one or more devices 1766, 1772 of network 1790, e.g.)implements several media 2010, 2110, 2210 as described above; and inwhich such wireless communication channel allocations would otherwise bemade in a crude or unduly computation-intensive fashion (by conventionalsignal strength or load balancing or bit error rate indicia, e.g.). Insome contexts, for example, a latency threshold 2082 for digitized voicedata communication routing may be less than 0.5 seconds and theeffective threshold 2081 applied to data block delivery failure rate2091 may be less than 5%. Alternatively or additionally, one or bothsuch thresholds 2081, 2082 may effectively depend upon an indication2075 of one or more attributes of channel 2780 (a data block deliveryfailure rate 2092 of linkage 2768, e.g.) or other such determinants asdescribed herein. In some contexts, for example, allocation module 1641may be configured to close channel 2780 when a traffic volume throughchannel 2780 becomes low enough (after several iterations of operation32, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor implementing a timing or other comparison as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,325,901(“Methods and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunicationsservice”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,321,727 (“System and method responsive to arate of change of a performance parameter of a memory”); U.S. Pat. No.8,320,261 (“Method and apparatus for troubleshooting subscriber issueson a telecommunications network”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,315,622 (“Motionadaptive communications device and integrated circuits for usetherewith”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,311,579 (“Multi-mode mobile communicationdevice with motion sensor and methods for use therewith”); U.S. Pat. No.8,295,395 (“Methods and apparatus for partial interference reductionwithin wireless networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,290,509 (“Deactivationsystem and method for a transferable device”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,264,953(“Resilient data communications with physical layer link aggregation,extended failure detection and load balancing”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,224,349(“Timed fingerprint locating in wireless networks”); U.S. Pat. No.8,195,478 (“Network performance monitor”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,184,580(“Data packet communication scheduling in a communication system”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,881,992 (“Methods and systems for processing and managingcorporate action information”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,853,268 (“GPSenabled cell phone location tracking for security purposes”).

With reference now to FIG. 28, shown is an example of a system 2800 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. A computer 2810 in anoffice 2820 includes a display 2815, a microphone 2817, a keyboard, aspeaker, and a mouse. An identifier (phone number 2285, e.g.) of aremote mobile device 2870 or its user 2880 are available (listed, e.g.)at computer 2810. When mobile device 2870 is within a wireless localarea network (WLAN) communication range 2866 of one or more WLAN routers2860 (instantiated in one or more devices 1768, 1784 of network 1700,e.g.), an interpersonal communication (a video chat via displays 2815,2875 or telephone call, e.g.) can occur via computer 2810 and mobiledevice 2870 and via linkages 2895, 2896 with network 2890 as shown. Insome contexts, moreover, status information concerning mobile device2870 is available at computer 2810 even before such communication isinitiated.

With reference now to FIG. 33, shown is a high-level logic flow 3300 ofan operational process. Operation 24 describes obtaining at a firstdevice an identifier of a second device (e.g. registration module 1971maintaining a local instance of contact list 1250 within computer 2810including a phone number 2285 or similar identification 1252 associatedwith user 2880). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichcomputer 2810 is the “first” device (instantiated in one or more devices1000, 1750, 1752 of network 1790, e.g.); in which mobile device 2870 isthe “second” device; and in which a telephone switch 1996 or server 1396associates phone number 2285 with one or more mobile devices 2870 ownedby user 2880 (instantiated in one or more devices 1768, 1782, 1786 ofnetwork 1790, e.g.).

Operation 30 describes causing the first device to display a Booleanindication whether or not the second device is within a wireless localarea network communication range of a third device without abidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the firstdevice and the second device (e.g. notification module 1744 triggeringcomputer 2810 to display a positive status indication 1254 signifyingthat mobile device 2870 is within a wireless LAN communication range2866 without first establishing a telephone call 1951 or similarbidirectional interpersonal communication 1961 between computer 2810 andmobile device 2870). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichwireless LAN communication range 2866 is established as an operatingrange of one or more WLAN devices (wireless LAN router 2860, e.g.); inwhich display 2815 presents such an indication 1254 in conjunction withother information about user 2880 (in record 1261, e.g.); in which auser 4101 of computer 2810 can initiate a telephone call 1951 or similarinterpersonal communication 1961 to user 2880 via computer 2810 inresponse to one or more such indications 1253, 1254; in which suchtelephone calls 1951 are cost effective (free of charge to user 2880,e.g.); and in which user 2880 would otherwise be unable or displeased toparticipate in such communication (incurring a significant roamingcharge, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 29, shown is an example of a system 2900 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. A mobile device 2910(a communication-enabled vehicle 1510 or handheld device, e.g.) meandersalong a path 2901 through a series of positions 2903, 2904, 2905, 2906,2907, 2908, 2909 at each of which there is an apparent wireless serviceboundary 2961, 2971, 2981. Even if the devices that provide the wirelessservice zones 2960, 2970, 2980 in a region 2955 are unknown orunavailable or transient (by hot spot movements or intermittencies,e.g.), a rate at which some such crossings occur constitutes a usefulavailability determinant as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 34, shown is a high-level logic flow 3400 ofan operational process. Operation 27 describes obtaining a Booleanindication of whether or not a first device exceeded a wireless serviceboundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval, therecent time interval being less than an hour (e.g. detection module 1671generating a comparison result 1411 as a direct or indirect Booleanindication 2271 that a maximum crossing rate threshold 2084 was greaterthan an average rate 2094 at which device 2910 had apparently crossedwireless service zone boundaries 2961, 2971, 2981 in a region 2955during a particular time interval 1421). This can occur, for example, ina context in which aggregation module 1171 has received a series ofseveral indications 2071, 2072, 2073, 2074 of crossing events; in whichone or more of such indications 2071 was not “qualifying” (because itdid not pertain to an event within time interval 1421, e.g.); in whichtime interval 1421 is on the order of a second or of a minute; and inwhich detection module 1671 (comprising comparator 1161, e.g.) comparesa count 2299 of such other indications 2072, 2073, 2074 with threshold2084. In an implementation of detection module 1671 in which threshold2084 is four, for example, a count 2299 of three crossings (e.g. atpositions 2904, 2905, 2906) will result in a negative indication 2271(signifying infrequent crossings, e.g.). In another context (in whichonly service region departures are “qualifying,” e.g.) detection module1671 may generate a positive indication 2271 (signifying frequentcrossings, e.g.) by applying a nominal threshold 2084 of two against acount 2299 of three (signifying registration module 1974 detectingdeparture events at position 2905 from zone 2970 and at position 2908from zone 2980 and at position 2909 from zone 2970, e.g.). Othervariants of detection module 1671 may perform operation 27 using avariety of protocols. A crossing rate threshold 2084 may be effectivelyadapted by applying one or more offsets or multipliers to count 2299,for example, or by including other quantitative modifiers as describedherein. Alternatively or additionally, detection module 1671 mayimplement conjunctive determinants (a Boolean value 744 configured toenable indication 2271 conditionally, e.g.); disjunctive determinants (aBoolean value 745 configured to override indication 2271 conditionally,e.g.); or other such modes of implementing comparisons as indicatedherein.

Operation 33 describes signaling an availability to participate in abidirectional interpersonal communication conditionally, partly based onthe Boolean indication whether or not the first device exceeded thewireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within the recent timeinterval and partly based on a Boolean indication of the first devicebeing within a wireless communication range of a second device (e.g.notification module 1743 causing a headset or display 2875 to provide auser 1502, 2880 with an automatic and conditional decision 1404 as towhether or not device 2910 is currently available to participate in abidirectional interpersonal communication 1962). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which device 2910 is the “first” device; inwhich device 4160 is the “second” device; in which wireless service zone2960 comprises a wireless communication range of device 4160; in whichdecision 1404 will be positive (signaling availability, e.g.) if device2910 remains continuously within wireless service zone 2960 for longerthan time interval 1421; in which time interval 1421 is on the order ofa second or of a minute; and in which much more resource-intensivemodeling (requiring frequent monitoring of satellite 1093 by GPS module1122, e.g.) would otherwise be required to determine whether the firstdevice is currently viable for such a communication. In some variants,moreover, determining availability by another mode (purely by a groundspeed of device 2910 being low enough, e.g.) might generate falsenegatives unduly (failing to recognize viable ongoing availability in acontext of traveling within region 4165 and alongside device 4160 for anextended period, e.g.). Decision 1404 may (optionally) be signaled by asound (a chord, e.g.) or by a word (“ready,” e.g.) or other displayedsymbol (a light-emitting diode coming on, e.g.), for example, or byother such expressions 1431 played or displayed at user interface 1410(instantiated in one or more devices 1756, 1758 of network 1700, e.g.).In some embodiments notification module 1743 may signal a positivedecision 1404 by establishing the bidirectional interpersonalcommunication 1962 (comprising a video chat session 1952 or similardialog 1953, e.g.), moreover, or may signal a negative decision 1404 bydoing nothing.

With reference now to FIG. 30, shown is an example of a system 3000 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. Two networks 3080,3090 are each operably coupled with a communications tower 3085(instantiated in one or more devices 1000, 1750, 1770 of network 1700,e.g.) and with a network access control (NAC) unit 3030 (implementing awireless router, e.g.) comprising several control modules 3031, 3032,3033, 3034. One such control module 3031 interacts with device 2750 andconditionally provides a first network access service (to network 3080,e.g.). One or more other devices (computer 3060, e.g.) are likewiseconditionally provided (by one or more other corresponding controlmodules 3034, e.g.) with network access service(s) as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 35, shown is a high-level logic flow 3500 ofan operational process. Operation 26 describes obtaining via a firstdevice configuration data establishing a first security protocol (e.g.input module 1684 receiving via one or more linkages 4295, 995 a secureaccess code 2031 effectively deeming one or more data patterns 1071 tobe “acceptable”). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichsecondary device 4220 includes data storage medium 2010 (non-volatilememory 4271, e.g.); in which such linkages include a signal-bearingconduit (an antenna 4205, 1905 or optical cable, e.g.) as the “first”device, via which configuration unit 980 transmits access code 2031 tosupervisor unit 1630; and in which access code 2031 includes a currentpassword 2035 provided by password generation module 986. In somecontexts, for example, a secondary device 4220 remote from supervisorunit 1630 may be configured to perform such transmissions regularly(daily, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, one or more instances ofconfiguration unit 980 may implement an initialsecurity-protocol-implementing data pattern 1071 (during manufacture ofsupervisor unit 1630, e.g.) for limiting access to one or more services2281, 2282 (network resources, e.g.) prior to any reconfiguration ofsupervisor unit 1630.

Operation 29 describes obtaining via a second device a wireless signalcontaining access request data (e.g. interface module 1721 receiving awireless signal 1323 containing access request data 1301). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which primary device 4210 includesevent-sequencing logic 1010, 1310 (instantiated in one or more devices1782, 1784 of network 1700, e.g.); in which the “second” device is anantenna 1905 operably coupled to device 2750 or to NAC unit 3030(instantiated in one or more devices 1000, 1750, 1768, 1774 of network1790, e.g.); and in which device 2750 transmits wireless signal 1323 asa response to input 1940 (key press events 1931, 1932 or voice commands1068, e.g.) from user 2701 (initiating a telephone call 1951, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, device 2750 may transmit access requestdata 1301 (requesting to establish an open channel 2770, e.g.) as anautomatic response to device 2750 entering a zone 2970 (comprising awireless operating range of device 2772, e.g.).

Operation 31 describes signaling a decision whether or not to provide afirst network access service via a third device responsive to whether ornot the access request data in the wireless signal satisfies the firstsecurity protocol (e.g. registration module 1972 signaling a decision1401 to provide device 2750 with a service 1333 that includes access tonetwork 3080 via control module 3031 as an automatic and conditionalresponse to application module 1041 determining that access request data1301 matches security-protocol-implementing data pattern 1071).

Operation 35 describes signaling a decision whether or not to provide asecond network access service via the third device responsive to whetheror not the access request data satisfies a second security protocol, thethird device implementing a firewall between the first network accessservice and the second network access service (e.g. allocation module1642 signaling a conditional decision 1402 not to provide an entity thattransmits access request data 1301 with a service 1334 that includesaccess to network 3090 as an automatic and conditional response toapplication module 1042 determining that access request data 1301 doesnot match security-protocol-implementing data pattern 1072). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which device 2750 is the “second”device; in which NAC unit 3030 is the “third” device; in which controlmodule 3031 provides the “second” device with access to network 3080 (asthe “first” network access service, e.g.); in which control module 3034would simultaneously provide a “fourth” device (computer 3060, e.g.)with access to network 3090 (as the “second” network access service,e.g.) if the “fourth” device had transmitted access request data 1302matching data pattern 1072; in which NAC unit implementsevent-sequencing logic 810, 1810 (instantiated in one or more devices1774, 1784 of network 1790, e.g.) and media 1350, 1450; and in which the“first” network access service would otherwise need to be provided by a“fifth” device (tower 3085, e.g.). In some contexts, for example,control module 3032 may implement the firewall between the “first” and“second” network access services (access to networks 3080, 3090respectively, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, control module 3033may be remotely configurable (implemented in an FPGA 870, 1540, 1870 ornon-volatile memory 4243, e.g.) to permit an adjustment of the locationof the firewall or otherwise control an allocation of resources in NACunit 3030.

With reference now to FIG. 31, shown is an example of a system in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. At an earlier time, router3101 provided WLAN or other wireless service to any devices 3180(communication-enabled vehicles 1510 or handheld devices, e.g.) thatwere within zone 3121. Other routers 3102, 3103 in the region 3155provide ongoing wireless service within respective disjoint zones 3122,3123 as shown, and both continue to communicate with network 3190.Another device 3160 obtains wireless service status versions 3162, 3163(indicating service availability within zone 3121, e.g.) withcorresponding timing data 3165 as described below.

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor implementing a firewall as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,327,431 (“Managingconfigurations of a firewall”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,316,435 (“Routing devicehaving integrated MPLS-aware firewall with virtual security systemsupport”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,300,532 (“Forwarding plane configuration forseparation of services and forwarding in an integrated servicesrouter”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,230,516 (“Apparatus, system, and method fornetwork authentication and content distribution”); U.S. Pat. No.8,209,400 (“System for data routing in networks”); U.S. Pat. No.8,121,648 (“Adaptive beamforming configuration methods and apparatus forwireless access points serving as handoff indication mechanisms inwireless local area networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,357 (“Outputmanagement system and method for enabling access to private networkresources”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,059,650 (“Hardware based parallelprocessing cores with multiple threads and multiple pipeline stages”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,024,482 (“Dynamic firewall configuration”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,018,856 (“Director device with visual display arrangement andmethods thereof”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,004,971 (“Method and system forscaling network traffic managers using connection keys”); U.S. Pat. No.7,924,927 (“Distributed functionality in a wireless communicationsnetwork”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,804,954 (“Infrastructure for enablinghigh quality real-time audio”).

With reference now to FIG. 36, shown is a high-level logic flow 3600 ofan operational process. Operation 25 describes obtaining an indicationof a first wireless communication service having been provided within afirst service region by a first device at an earlier time (e.g.aggregation module 1981 receiving a notification 1425 that mobile device3180 was at coordinates 2021, 2022 three weeks ago at which time awireless service 2283 had been established between device 3180 andnetwork 3190 via router 3101). This can occur, for example, in a contextin which FIG. 31 generally depicts the “earlier” time; in which the“first” service region comprises either zone 3121 or a subset of it thatexcludes zone 3122; in which router 3101 is the “first” device(instantiated in one or more devices 1768, 1770 of network 1790, e.g.);in which notification 1425 arrived at aggregation module 1981 almostthree weeks ago; in which aggregation module 1981 maintains status data2320 about the availability of wireless services within a region 3155depicted by map 2330; and in which status data 2320 includes anestimated position 2341 of router 3101 (determined by a detection module1672 using GPS or other triangulation protocols, e.g.) at the earliertime 1311 (three weeks ago, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, timingdata 3165 (derived from a signal 1322 from an instance of device 3180traveling across zones 3121-3123 and maintained in status data 2320,e.g.) may indicate that as of three weeks ago, service 1331 wasoperative in zones 3121, 3122 and service 1332 was operative in zone3123. Alternatively or additionally, status data 2320 may (optionally)include indications 2278, 2279 of “latest” wireless service status inseveral zones 2351-2355 near the most-recent estimated position 2341 ofrouter 3101.

Operation 34 describes signaling a decision whether or not to indicatethe first wireless communication service being operative within thefirst service region as an automatic and conditional response to anindication from a second device of the first wireless communicationservice having been operative within the first service region or not ata later time (e.g. response module 4185 communicating to user 4101 adecision 1403 that is responsive to a recent indication 2275 from device2870 about one or more wireless services 1331 being operative orinoperative within zone 3121). This can occur, for example, in a contextin which mobile device 2870 is the “second” device and has transmitted asignal 1323 at the “later” time 1313 (yesterday, e.g.) from within zones3121, 3122 (corresponding roughly to map position 2347, e.g.) of whichsome is maintained (in status data 2320, e.g.); in which the decision1403 is “negative” if it results in device 2760 displaying statusversion 3162 (indicating that service 1331 is unavailable within part ofzone 3121, e.g.); in which the decision 1403 is “positive” (manifestedas an instance of a voltage level 313 above a voltage threshold 2085,e.g.) if it results in device 2760 displaying status version 3163(indicating that service 1331 is available throughout zone 3121, e.g.);and in which user 4101 would otherwise have to traverse the firstservice region personally to discover whether or not service 1331 isstill available there. In some contexts, for example, such a decision1403 will dictate whether device 2760 will display image version 2362(negatively indicative of service 1331 at position 2349, e.g.) or imageversion 2363 (positively indicative of service 1331 at position 2349,e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, such signals from various devices4160, 2760, 2870, 3180 traversing region 3155 may be used (1) by aresponse module 4181 configured to determine an indication 1341 of anapproximate range of each router 3101-3103; (2) by a response module4182 configured to determine an indication 1342 of what times of the dayor week one of the routers 3102 goes offline; (3) by a response module4183 configured to determine a Boolean indication 2273 whether or notone of the routers 3101 appears to be stationary; (4) by a responsemodule 4184 configured to determine a Boolean indication 2272 of whetheror not one of the routers 3103 (instantiated in one or more devices1784, 1786 of network 1700, e.g.) is substantially isotropic; (5) by aresponse module 4186 configured to display via a map 2330 of a userinterface 1410 a cost-indicative service boundary relating to aprospective interpersonal communication 1963 via the user interface1410; or (6) to perform such functions upon other devices describedherein.

Referring now to FIG. 37, a system 3700 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 3710 (an arrangement of numerous transistors andelectrical nodes 921-928 at decision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.)including one or more instances of assignment modules 3711, 3712; of GPSor other location modules 3721, 3722 (implemented in FPGA 870, e.g.); ofcircuitry 3751 configured to obtain an identification of a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device (for which a cellular servicesubscription has ended, e.g.); of circuitry 3752 configured to obtain anindication of an account associated with a first currently-subscribedmobile device; or of circuitry 3753 configured to signal a decisionwhether or not to post a cost component to the account associated withthe first currently-subscribed mobile device conditionally, partly basedon whether the first formerly-subscribed mobile device had access towireless local area network (WLAN) service and partly based on acommunication between the first formerly-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device.

Referring now to FIG. 38, a wearable assembly 3810 supportsevent-sequencing logic 3830 operably coupled via network 3890 with otherevent-sequencing logic 3860. Wearable assembly 3810 may (optionally) beworn by a user via various supports 3840 described herein (eyewear 354,clip unit 353, headset 355, a shoe, wristwear 358, or other suchwearable articles, e.g.) configured to support various event-sequencinglogic directly or indirectly. In some contexts, for example, support3840 may have a mechanical linkage with one or more light-emittingdiodes 3851, earpieces 4167, antennas 3852, or other output components.In particular, each instance of event-sequencing logic 3830 may includeone or more instances of transistor-based circuitry 3831, 3832, 3833 orother special purpose integrated circuitry 310. For example, circuitry3831 may comprise an event-sequencing structure (an arrangement ofnumerous transistors and electrical nodes 921-928 at decision-indicativevoltage levels, e.g.) configured to receive a “first” wireless signal3855 indicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary(zone boundary 7850, e.g.) via one or more antennas 1905, 3852. In acontext in which wearable assembly 3810 is implemented as describedabove (e.g. in one or more of device 1000 or device 1750 or device1910), for example, such circuitry may also include atransmitter/receiver module 1014 configured to receive signal 3855 viaone or more antennas 1905, 3852. Circuitry 3832 may likewise have anevent-sequencing structure configured to extractWLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from the signal 3855 via a signalprocessor (e.g. signal processing module 1016) of the wearable assembly.Alternatively or additionally, event sequencing logic 3830 may includetransistor-based circuitry 3833 having an event-sequencing structureconfigured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as asecond wireless signal (to one or more users 180, 4101 or to network3890, e.g.) via an output component (e.g. a speaker 442 orlight-emitting diode 3851 or display 445 or antenna 3852) of thewearable assembly 3810. On a display 445 such data may be conveyed as amap segment 2337, for example, showing where device 7802 is with a colorindicative of WLAN zone 7114, 7214 (within which the prospectiveinterpersonal communication may be free of charge, e.g.) that isdifferent from that of a “cell only” zone 7115 (with which anon-subscribing user 178 may get a “free ride” at the expense of asubscribing user 175 who has agreed to accept a charge resultingnon-subscribing user 178 initiating a communication without the benefitof WLAN service, e.g.). Likewise a speaker or LED 3851 may be sufficientnotification 1425 (a medium-pitch “beep” sound or “entering Wi-Fiservice zone” articulation or LED activation to signify entering WLANzone 7214 or a lower-pitch “boop” sound or LED deactivation to signifyleaving WLAN zone 7214, e.g.) to notify a user of wearable assembly 3810of such crossings. In some variants, moreover, such notifications may beprovided to users who are approaching a boundary (with an audiblemessage like “warning: you are about to pass out of Wi-Fi service space”or similar visible message 137, e.g.).

In various embodiments described herein, moreover, wearable assembly3810 may include or otherwise interact with other event-sequencing logic710, 810, 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1810, 2410, 2510, 3710, 3860(e.g. via network 3890 or other wireless linkages 1771, 4161).Event-sequencing logic 3860, for example, may include circuitry 3861configured to obtain a first location estimate describing a firstlocation of a first device; circuitry 3862 configured to obtain firstprovenance data indicating a protocol by which the first device obtainedthe first location estimate; and circuitry 3863 configured to signal adecision whether or not to update a wireless connectivity mapautomatically and conditionally, partly based on the first locationestimate describing the first location of the first device and partlybased on the first provenance data indicating the protocol by which thefirst device obtained the first location estimate. The operation ofevent-sequencing logic 3860 is further described below, especially withreference to access map server 2300 (depicted in FIG. 2) and model 2301(depicted in FIGS. 23 and 44).

Referring now to FIG. 39, a system 3900 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 3910 (an arrangement of numerous transistors andelectrical nodes 921-928 at decision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.)including one or more instances of circuitry 3931 configured to obtain afirst preference indication (in many instances) either of a first optionor of a second option from a user of a first currently-subscribed mobiledevice, an account being associated with a first currently-subscribedmobile device; of circuitry 3932 configured to signal a decision whetheror not to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditional responseto whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device; of circuitry3933 configured to signal a decision whether or not to assign acommunication cost component to the account associated with the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option; or of circuitry 3934 configuredto signal a decision whether or not to establish a bidirectionalcommunication as a second conditional response to whether or not theuser of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the second option between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device as further described below.

Referring now to FIG. 40, a system 4000 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 4010 (an arrangement of numerous transistors andelectrical nodes 921-928 at decision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.)including one or more instances of decision modules 4061, 4062, 4063,4064 or of configuration modules 4081, 4082, 4083, 4084 as furtherdescribed below.

Referring now to FIG. 43, a system 4300 is shown comprising one or moremedia 4310 bearing one or more instances of values 4321, 4322, 4323,4324, 4325, 4326, 4327; of data structures 4330; of accounts 4335, 4336;of decisions 4341, 4342, 4343, 4344, 4345, 4346, 4347; of indications4351, 4352, 4353, 4354, 4355, 4356, 4357; of messages 4370 (comprisingbroadcasts 4361, pages 4362, short message service texts 4363 or othercomponents 4364, 4365 described below, e.g.); of phone numbers 4371 orother such device identifications 4372, 4373; of protocols 4381, 4382,4383, 4384, 4385; of authorizations 4395; or of other such datacomponents. For example such media 4310 may include one or morenon-volatile memories 4271, volatile memories 4272, or moving datastorage mediums (having memory cells configured as magnetized or otherreadable zones of a rotating disc, e.g.), or other such data-handlingmedia in widespread use.

Referring now to FIG. 44, a system 4400 is shown comprising one or moremedia 4410 bearing one or more instances of positional models 2301,2302, 2303 (comprising connectivity-indicative maps 2330, e.g.); ofmodel numbers 4411, device names 4412, or other such device identifiers4415, 4416; of signals 4460; of software-implemented or other digitallyexpressed criteria 4471, 4472, 4473 (for acceptance or rejection orother data evaluation, e.g.); of apps 4481, 4482, 4483; of controlparameters 4489; or of other such data components. For example suchmedia 4310 may, in some embodiments, bear signals that include one ormore instances of labels 4431, 4432; of status data 4433; of routingdata 4435; of position estimates 4441, 4442, 4443, 4444 (expressed ascoordinates, e.g.); or of provenance data 4451, 4452, 4453, 4454, 4455.

Referring now to FIG. 45, a system 4500 is shown comprising one or moremedia 4510 bearing one or more instances of records 4511, 4512; ofindications 4531, 4532, 4533, 4534, 4535, 4536, 4537, 4538, 4539; ofdecisions 4541, 4542, 4543, 4544, 4545 or other values 4551, 4552, 4553;of accounts 4555, 4556; of durations 4560, 4561, 4562; or of prompts4571 of a menu 4570. In some contexts, for example, each such record mayinclude one or more instances of allocations 4501, of balances 4502, ofdays 4503 or other intervals, of user or other customer identifiers 4504(account numbers or names, e.g.), or of device identifiers 4505 (serialnumbers, e.g.) by which one or more accounts described herein may beassociated with a user/device. In some contexts, moreover, some or allsuch device-executable or data items borne on media described above maycomprise firmware 4595 (implemented in a transistor-based non-volatilememory 4241 or as specific circuits described herein and configured byan original equipment manufacturer, e.g.).

Referring now to FIG. 46, a system 4600 is shown comprising one or moredata-handling media 4610 bearing one or more instances of results 4601,4602, 4603, 4604, 4611, 4612, 4613, 4614; digitally expressed criteria4621, 4622, 4623, 4624; voltages 4631, 4632, 4633, 4634; authorizations4664, 4665, 4666, 4667, 4668; or other such metrics 4680. Suchinformational data may be manifested on a node set (e.g. of one or morenodes 241-244) of an integrated circuit 361, for example, as aconfiguration of one or more respective voltage levels 311-314. SeeFIGS. 47-50 (depicting useful node sets). Likewise each node set maycomprise media 4610 in which other kinds of indicia (one or more levels4693, e.g.) may manifest such information. (Insofar that voltage levels311-314 and fluid levels 4693 are analogous, this example will proveuseful to some readers.) A data node 4690 literally containing a fluid,for example, may manifest either a negative state 4681 (as any fluidlevel 4693 above a threshold 4691, e.g.) or a positive state 4682 (asany fluid level 4693 below a threshold 4692, e.g.). A fluid inlet valve4671 may allow fluid to enter (as a “current,” e.g.) so that data node4690 transitions from positive state 4682 to negative state 4681.Conversely a fluid outlet valve 4673 may allow fluid to exit so thatdata node 4690 transitions from negative state 4681 to positive state4682. In some contexts, for example, one or more instances of fluidsensors 4672 may be configured to detect a fluid level configuration ofor transitions in a data node set manifesting one or more decisions1401-1405, 2221-2228, 4341-4347, 4541-4545 or other indications, asfurther described below.

Referring now to FIG. 47, a system 4700 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 4710 (an arrangement of numerous nodes atdecision-indicative levels, e.g.) including one or more instances ofcircuitry 4712 configured to establish a conference call among severaldevices; of circuitry 4715 configured to establish a communication viaat least a first device and a second device responsive to receiving acharge authorization from a user of a third device; of circuitry 4717configured to assign a cost component of a communication to an accountassociated with a first mobile unit conditionally, in response toreceiving a charge authorization from the first mobile unit beforereceiving any charge authorization from any other unit; or of circuitry4719 configured to manifest a communication by establishing a directwireless linkage between a cell tower and a particular device partlybased on receiving a charge authorization and partly based on theparticular device not having WLAN service. Also as described below,circuitry 4712 may include or interact with one or more instances of anode set 4742 (comprising one or more magnetic or optical or mechanicalor fluidic or electrical nodes, for example, or some combinationthereof) upon which a configuration (of respective levels, e.g.) maymanifest a device-usable code sequence (an instruction sequenceexecutable by a processor, e.g.) or other such information describedbelow. Circuitry 4715 may likewise include or interact with one or moreinstances of a node set 4745 upon which a configuration may manifestsuch information. Circuitry 4717 may likewise include or interact withone or more instances of a node set 4747 upon which a configuration maymanifest such information. Circuitry 4719 may likewise include orinteract with one or more instances of a node set 4749 upon which aconfiguration may manifest such information.

Referring now to FIG. 48, a system 4800 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 4810 (an arrangement of numerous nodes atdecision-indicative levels, e.g.) including one or more instances ofcircuitry 4891 configured to obtain a third-party authorization for arooted communication device to present geographical WLAN connectivitydata; of circuitry 4892 configured to obtain a first position estimateof the rooted communication device; or of circuitry 4893 configured tosignal a decision whether or not to present a positional indication ofWLAN connectivity relative to the first position estimate at the rootedcommunication device or not conditionally, depending upon thethird-party authorization. Also as described below, circuitry 4891 mayinclude or interact with one or more instances of a node set 4881(comprising one or more magnetic or optical or mechanical or fluidic orelectrical nodes, for example, or some combination thereof) upon which aconfiguration (of respective levels, e.g.) may manifest a device-usablecode sequence (an instruction sequence executable by a processor, e.g.)or other such information described below. Circuitry 4892 may likewiseinclude or interact with one or more instances of a node set 4882 uponwhich a configuration may manifest such information. Circuitry 4893 maylikewise include or interact with one or more instances of a node set4883 upon which a configuration may manifest such information. See FIG.64.

Referring now to FIG. 49, a system 4900 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 4910 (an arrangement of numerous nodes atdecision-indicative levels, e.g.) including one or more instances ofcircuitry 4921 configured to obtain an indication of an accountassociated with a first mobile device or of circuitry 4922 configured torespond to an indication of a communication service via at least thefirst mobile device and a second mobile device having been in progresswhen the second mobile device crossed a WLAN service space boundary byallocating a communication service cost component that depends upon whenthe second mobile device crossed the WLAN service space boundary to theaccount associated with the first mobile device. Also as describedbelow, circuitry 4921 may include or interact with one or more instancesof a node set 4931 (comprising one or more magnetic or optical ormechanical or fluidic or electrical nodes, for example, or somecombination thereof) upon which a configuration (of respective levels,e.g.) may manifest a device-usable code sequence (an instructionsequence executable by a processor, e.g.) or other such informationdescribed below. Circuitry 4922 may likewise include or interact withone or more instances of a node set 4932 upon which a configuration maymanifest such information. See FIG. 63.

Referring now to FIG. 50, a system 5000 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 5010 (an arrangement of numerous nodes atdecision-indicative levels, e.g.) including one or more instances ofcircuitry 5061 configured to signal a first decision whether or not toestablish a communication via at least a first mobile device and asecond mobile device partly based on a first determination whether ornot a charge authorization has been associated with the first mobiledevice and partly based on a first determination whether or not thesecond mobile device has WLAN service or of circuitry 5062 configured torespond to a negative decision by signaling another, similar decisionwhether or not to establish the communication. Also as described below,circuitry 5061 may include or interact with one or more instances of anode set 5051 (comprising one or more magnetic or optical or mechanicalor fluidic or electrical nodes, for example, or some combinationthereof) upon which a configuration (of respective levels, e.g.) maymanifest a device-usable code sequence (an instruction sequenceexecutable by a processor, e.g.) or other such information describedbelow. Circuitry 5062 may likewise include or interact with one or moreinstances of a node set 5052 upon which a configuration may manifestsuch information. See FIG. 65.

Referring now to FIG. 51, a system 5100 is shown comprising a primaryunit 5110 operably coupled with a secondary unit 5120 (within a singledevice or via a long-distance signal path in respective embodiments,e.g.). Primary unit 5110 may (optionally) include one or more instancesof validation modules 5111, 5112, 5113, 5114 or other input modules5171, 5172, 5173, 5174 as further described below. Secondary unit 5120(implemented in FPGA 870, e.g.) may likewise include one or moreinstances of transmission modules 5121, 5122; of tagging modules 5151,5152; or of estimation modules 5161, 5162 as further described below.

Referring now to FIG. 52, a system is shown in a context like that ofFIG. 2, one that highlights interpersonal communication between/amongusers 175, 178, 179. As shown, passive linkages 5261, 5262 (wirelesssignal paths, e.g.) operably couple device 7102 with one or more devices7802, 7822 via network 5290 (comprising network 1200 of FIG. 2, e.g.). Auser interface (touch screen or speech recognition module, e.g.) ofdevice 7102 presents two or more options 5281, 5282, 5283 to user 175via menu 5280, as further described below.

With reference now to FIG. 59, shown is a high-level logic flow 5900 ofan operational process. Operation 371 describes obtaining a firstpreference indication either of a first option or of a second optionfrom a user of a first currently-subscribed mobile device, an accountbeing associated with a first currently-subscribed mobile device (e.g.input module 5171 receiving a digital value 4327 signaling that asubscribing user 175 of device 7102 has expressed his preference byindicating a first menu option 5281). This can occur, for example in acontext in which digital value 4327 is “1” or “no”; in which thecurrently-subscribed device (a device 7102 implementing one or more ofevent-sequencing logic 1110 or mobile device 2870, e.g.) includes atouchscreen display 2875, button, or speech recognition module 1123 (indevice 7102 or otherwise in a vicinity of user 175, e.g.) from whichinput module 5171 receives digital value 4327; and in which input module5171 effectively selects option 5281 in lieu of one or more otheroptions 5282. In some contexts, for example, a user 175 of thecurrently-subscribed device 7102 may subscribe to a cellular servicecarrier (Verizon®, e.g.) for which an account 4335 has a current balance(comprising a digital value 4326 expressed in units of dollars orminutes, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, input module 5171 may beconfigured to accept a default digital value 4327 as a conditionalresponse to receiving no reply from user 175 for a prescribed interval(10-30 seconds, e.g.), signifying his apparent preference (notauthorizing an extra charge, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor obtaining user preferences as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,447,352 (“Method andapparatus for communicating via virtual office telephone extensions”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,316,394 (“Interactive media guidance application withintelligent navigation and display features”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,311,513(“Automated mobile system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,301,564 (“Interacting withuser at ATM based on user preferences”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,280,913(“Systems and methods for management of contact information”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,925,250 (“Reuse of a mobile device application in a desktopenvironment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,743,334 (“Dynamically configuring a webpage”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,664,720 (“Method and product of manufacture forthe recommendation of optimizers in a graphical user interface formathematical solvers”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,319 (“Adaptive patternrecognition based controller apparatus and method and human-factoredinterface therefore”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,593,812 (“Technique for effectivenavigation based on user preferences”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,567,305 (“Methodfor selecting preference channel and digital TV using the same”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,522,992 (“Technique for effective navigation based on userpreferences”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,092 (“System and method forperforming purchase transactions utilizing a broadcast-based device”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,063 (“Networked disposal and sample provisioningapparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,305,079 (“Method and apparatus forcommunicating with one of plural devices associated with a singletelephone number”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,203 (“Method and apparatus forrouting calls based on identification of the calling party or callingline”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,245,913 (“Handset mode selection based on userpreferences”).

Operation 374 describes signaling a decision whether or not to cause aunidirectional communication as a conditional response to whether or notthe user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the first option between the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice and one or more communication devices that include a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device (e.g. transmission module 5122transmitting a message 4370 to or from device 7102 manifesting anaffirmative decision 4342 resulting from user 175 having indicatedoption 5281). This can occur, for example, in a context in which anegative decision 4343 (disabling transmission module 5122 to preventthe unidirectional communication, e.g.) would have resulted if user 175had indicated a preference for another option 5282; in which message4370 comprises a page 4362 (providing a phone number 4371 or otheridentification 4372 of the formerly-subscribed mobile device 1000 todevice 7102, e.g.); in which system 5100 resides in device 7102 or innetwork 5290; and in which at least a portion (component 4364, e.g.) ofmessage 4370 travels via wireless linkages 5261, 5262 (to or from a user178 of mobile device 1000, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor implementing a unidirectional communication as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,391,930(“Method and system for using user-selected alert patterns”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,352,872 (“Geographic location notification based on identitylinking”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,346,879 (“Detecting conflicts in emailmessages”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,243,887 (“Identification of notifications ina mass notification system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,238,869 (“Lifesaverpersonal alert and notification device”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,566(“Method and system for notifying customers of transactionopportunities”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,961,076 (“Methods and apparatuses forremote control of vehicle devices and vehicle lock-out notification”).

Operation 376 describes signaling a decision whether or not to assign acommunication cost component to the account associated with the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option (e.g. assignment module 3712implementing a decision 4344 to assign a cost component 122 to account4335 that is conditioned upon user 175 having authorized the charge byindicating option 5282 at menu 5280). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which one or more instances of event-sequencing logic 3710,4010 reside in system 5100; in which cost component 122 is a premiumcost for a premium service above that which is provided to user 175 at a“normal” cellular telephone service subscription rate (monthly orper-minute, e.g.); in which cost component 122 would not be assigned toaccount 4335 if user had not selected the “second” option 5282; and inwhich users 178, 179 would otherwise be unable to benefit from resourcesof the cellular service carrier (to initiate or respond to wirelesscommunications via base transceiver station 310, e.g.) without bothmaintaining active cellular service subscriptions.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for cost allocations as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,380,188 (“System and methodfor temporarily accessing another user's service”); U.S. Pat. No.8,311,532 (“Method and system for enabling personalized shared mobilephone usage”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,086,239 (“Infrastructure for wirelesstelecommunication networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,045,957 (“Computer programproduct to indicate a charge for a call”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,965,997(“System and method to support multiple wireless accounts for a givensubscriber”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,813,716 (“Method of providing informationto a telephony subscriber”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,927 (“Financing partypayment for calls with a wireless subscriber”); U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2012/0202454 (“System and method for authorizing and monetizing collectcellular telephone calls”); U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2011/0191205 (“Portablecommunicator”); U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0227229 (“Method and system forenabling personalised shared mobile phone usage”); U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2008/0167045 (“Service handover control apparatus using an end-to-endservice handover and method using the apparatus”); and U.S. Pat. Pub.No. 2005/0190902 (“Network support for billing customer calls accordingto tailored billing lists”).

Operation 378 describes signaling a decision whether or not to establisha bidirectional communication as a second conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device (e.g.configuration module 4082 including at least the “first” mobile devicesin a telephone call 1951, text chat, or other such interpersonalcommunication 1962 as a conditional response to an indication 4356 ofuser 175 having selected option 5282 at menu 5280). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which user 175 causes device 7102 to beconfigured so as to authorize charges in advance for such communications(by accessing menu 5280 before dialog 1953, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, configuration module 4081 may query user 175 (such as bytransmitting a message 4370 like “do you accept the extra charge forthis session?” and taking an affirmative response as user 175 selectingthe “second” option 5282, e.g.) to obtain the user's apparentpreference.

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor establishing a bidirectional communication as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,358,975(“Signaling over cellular networks to reduce the Wi-Fi energyconsumption of mobile devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,295,352 (“Process fordelivering a video stream over a wireless bidirectional channel betweena video encoder and a video decoder”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,244,228 (“Methodand apparatus for providing a mobile wireless local area network”); U.S.Pat. No. 8,160,304 (“Interactive systems and methods employing wirelessmobile devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,049,664 (“Multi-band, multi-channel,location-aware communications booster”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,004,556(“Conference link between a speakerphone and a video conference unit”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,505 (“System, method and computer program productfor concurrent performance of video teleconference and delivery ofmultimedia presentation and archiving of same”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,254,123(“Control of a wireless conference telephone system”).

Referring now to FIG. 53, a system is shown in a context like that ofFIG. 2, one that highlights interpersonal communication between/amonghandheld devices 7102 and other mobile devices 1000 such as portablewireless nodes 5300. In some contexts, for example, node 5300 may beimplemented as a wearable assembly 3810 (on a headset 355 or garment fora support or as jewelry, e.g.) that includes a microphone 5301 or othersensor 5302. Line-of-sight or other passive wireless linkages 5361,5362, 5363 operably couple each of such devices with network 5390 (ahybrid network that includes network 1200 of FIG. 2, e.g.) as shown.Alternatively or additionally, device 1000 may be operably coupled via aradio frequency linkage 5364 (Bluetooth, e.g.) with node 5300. In somecontexts, device 1000 may have been reconfigured (using one or moreunlocking protocols, e.g.) to accommodate a subscriber identificationmodule 5311 or other such components unlike those provided by itsoriginal manufacturer (aftermarket components, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 60, shown is a high-level logic flow 6000 ofan operational process. Operation 373 describes obtaining anidentification of a first formerly-subscribed mobile device (e.g.tagging module 5152 receiving a phone number 4371, serial number, orother identification 4373 of one or more mobile communication devices1000 that were previously associated with a customer identifier 4504,but are no longer). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichdevice 1000 was originally configured by a first cellular serviceprovider (Verizon®, e.g.) who maintains a subscriber database 680 fromwhich customer identifier 4504 has now been removed and in whichsecondary unit 5120 resides in network 5390 or in device 7102. This canbe accomplished, for example, by associating device 1000 with a secondcellular service provider (by enabling device 1000 to accept anoff-brand subscriber identification module 5311 or other substitutenetwork access component, e.g.) after an original wireless servicesubscription has ended. Alternatively, in some contexts, tagging module5152 may be configured to identify a device 1000 that has beentemporarily dissociated from its subscription, such as by user 177implementing one or more unlocking protocols 4383 to adapt device 1000to be usable overseas or otherwise without the first cellular serviceprovider (via WLAN service, e.g.).

Operation 377 describes obtaining an indication of an account associatedwith a first currently-subscribed mobile device (e.g. validation module5111 generating an indication 4352 that an account 4335 associated withdevice 7102 is currently available). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which account 4335 is maintained by a current cellularservice provider for device 7102; in which account 4335 has a currentbalance (comprising a digital value 4326, e.g.); in which account updatemodule 120 is configured to post a cost component 121 (an ordinaryper-minute or per-message cost for communications that include device7102, e.g.) to account 4335 irrespective of whether formerly-subscribedmobile device 1000 has ever had access to any WLAN service; in whichprimary unit 5110 is co-located with secondary unit 5120; and in which acellular service provider associated with device 7102 (Verizon®, e.g.)charges that cost component 121 for all such communications with userdevices that are not in that provider's network (but in which in-networkcommunications are free for device 7102 to initiate or accept, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, validation module 5111 may obtainindication 4352 from a trusted third party (who lists currentsubscribers or other wireless signaling devices in a region 3155, e.g.).

Operation 379 describes signaling a decision whether or not to post acost component to the account associated with the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device conditionally, partly based onwhether the first formerly-subscribed mobile device had access towireless local area network (WLAN) service and partly based on acommunication between the first formerly-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device (e.g. decision module 4063implementing a decision 4346 not to authorize account update module 120to charge account 4335 a cost component 122 for a communication unlessdevice 1000 is in “free ride” zone 7815 and carrierless during thecommunication). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichdevice 1000 gets a “free ride” at the expense of user 175 when necessaryfor the communication; in which user 175 authorized both the ordinarycost component 121 and the as-needed premium cost component 122described above to be charged to account 4335; in which the premium costcomponent can be avoided by waiting for device 1000 to re-enter WLANservice space; and in which user 175 could not otherwise eliminate theneed for device 1000 to remain within or re-enter WLAN service space(WLAN zone 7214, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, user 175 canconfigure decision module 4063 to perform operation 379 by authorizing acost component 122 to be posted to account 4335 conditionally for aparticular communication (conference call, e.g.) or duration (week,e.g.), so that such posting will occur if necessary (1) to establish thecommunication with or from device 1000 while it is in “free ride” zone7815 or (2) to continue the communication with unlocked device 1000 asit passes out of WLAN service (across a zone boundary 7150, 7850 from aWLAN zone 7114, 7214 into a “cell-only” or other “free ride” zone, e.g.)but usually will not occur otherwise. Alternatively or additionally,user 175 can effectively configure one or more additional instances ofdecision module 4063 to perform operation 379 by listing additionalcommunication participants (teleconference invitees, e.g.) of whom oneor more uses a communication device not supported by a cellular serviceprovider.

Referring now to FIG. 54, a system is shown in a context like that ofFIG. 2, one that highlights connectivity-indicative data aggregation. Afirst reporting unit 5421 (implemented in base station controller 520,e.g.) relays position-indicative data (from one or more devices 7802operated by users 178, 179 of respective devices 7802, 7822 as shown,e.g.) via wireless linkage 5461 to network 5490. Likewise otherreporting units 5422, 5423 relay such information from other users 177,180 via other wireless linkages 5462, 5463 as shown. Network 5490includes a control unit 5410 configured by technician 5401 and includinga map update module 5415. In some contexts, for example, control unit5410 implements a server from which one or more control parameters 4489(thresholds or other values that influence how local devices operate,e.g.) or apps 4481-4483 may be distributed (downloaded by device users,e.g.). In some variants, for example, reporting unit 5422 may reside innetwork interface 2400 of FIG. 2. Likewise reporting unit 5423 mayreside in a peer device of an ad hoc network (in device 1750 of FIG. 17,e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 61, shown is a high-level logic flow 6100 ofan operational process. Operation 372 describes obtaining a firstlocation estimate describing a first location of a first mobile device(e.g. estimation module 5161 using a timing or triangulation protocol tocompute two or more scalar values 4323, 4324 quantitatively describingpast or present position 2348 of device 7802). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which values 4323, 4324 comprise a latitude anda longitude; in which device 7802 is the “first” device; in which device7802 includes event sequencing logic 5110 and one or more media 4310,4410 from which messages 4370 or other signals 4460 are received; and inwhich wireless connectivity status data 4433, 4432 (indicating one ormore WLAN access points or other wireless devices 1750, 1752, 1754, 1756having been online or not, e.g.) is provided with or implicitlyassociated with one or more such position estimates 4441-4444(describing positions where device 7802 has actually been, e.g.). Insome contexts, for example, system 5100 may be implemented aboard device7802 or in reporting unit 5421. Alternatively or additionally, primaryunit 5110 may include an input module 5172 configured to performoperation 372 by receiving such signals 4460 by wireless transmission(from secondary units 5120 in nearby mobile devices 7801, 7821 orsatellites 1293 or base transceiver stations 330, e.g.), optionallyincluding one or more position estimates 4441-4444 comprising 3Dexpressions (configured each to include one or more digital indications4353 of elevation, e.g.).

Operation 375 describes obtaining first provenance data indicating aprotocol by which the first mobile device apparently obtained the firstlocation estimate (e.g. one or more validation modules 5113, 5114extracting from signal 4460 one or more instances of provenance data4451-4457 indicating how device 7802 obtained scalar values 4323, 4324describing its position). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich transmission module 5121 includes an explicit label 4432 (such as“cell identification” or protocol “5”) identifying a protocol (ofextraction or computation, e.g.) by which location module 3721 obtainedan estimated position of device 7802; in which at least some positionestimates 4441, 4442, 4443 are each provided (in signal 4460, e.g.) withone or more instances of provenance data 4451-4455; in which suchprovenance data serves a greater purpose than merely identifying andlocating device 7802; and in which several estimate-obtaining protocols(conventions that govern the interaction of components with or withinnetwork 5490 to facilitate position estimation, e.g.) are identifiable.Alternatively or additionally, such provenance data may be provided byspecial-purpose circuitry (secondary unit 5120, e.g.) that includesestimation module 5161.

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor generating and using provenance data as described herein withoutundue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,946 (“Trustworthytimestamps and certifiable clocks using logs linked by cryptographichashes”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,406,753 (“System and method for generating alocation estimate using uniform and non-uniform grid points”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,369,871 (“System and method for mobile device self-location”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,346,282 (“Method and system for locating mobile stationsusing call measurement data”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,284,100 (“Providingindoor location, position, or tracking of a mobile computer usingsensors”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,265,655 (“Procedure to increase positionlocation availability”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,301,375 (“Interface for a GPSsystem”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,836 (“Method and device for transferringan ongoing communication in which a mobile terminal is involved betweena first and a second base stations and wherein one of the base stationsis located in a moving conveyance”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,032,149 (“Taskingand reporting method and implementation for wireless appliance locationsystems”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,519,373 (“System and method for geo-locationof mobile appliances using diverse standard tasking and reporting”).

Operation 380 describes signaling a decision whether or not to update awireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally, partly basedon the first location estimate describing the first location of thefirst mobile device and partly based on the first provenance dataindicating the protocol by which the first mobile device apparentlyobtained the first location estimate (e.g. decision module 4062transmitting an affirmative decision 4351 that invokes map update module5415 using digital values 4323, 4324 to describe where device 7802 wasas an automatic and conditional response to operation 375 and operation372 both having occurred). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich technician 5401 had previously configured validation module 5114(implemented in FPGA 870 or non-volatile memory 4271, e.g.) to apply oneor more evaluation criteria 4471-4478 to such provenance data; in whichinstances of event-sequencing logic 3710, 4010 reside in each reportingunit 5421-5423; in which map update module 5415 selectively updates oneor more informational models 2301, 2302 according to the outcome of suchapplication (using one or more worthy position estimates 4441-4443 andrejecting one or more other position estimates 4444, e.g.); and in whichsuch models would otherwise be updated too late (manually, e.g.) orerroneously (using tainted position data, e.g.). In some variants, forexample, control unit 5410 may be operable to configure reporting units5421-5423 or consumer devices operated by users 178, 180 (bytransmitting control apps 4481-4483 or parameters 4489 via wirelesslinkages 5461-5463, e.g.). See FIG. 2. Alternatively or additionally, insome embodiments, control unit 5410 may be configured as an access mapserver 2300 (as depicted in FIG. 2, e.g.) operable to include suchevent-sequencing logic 3710, 4010.

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor updating a map as described herein without undue experimentation.See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,442,482 (“Method and system for an emergencylocation information service (E-LIS)”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,417,215 (“Methodfor positioning of wireless medical devices with short-range radiofrequency technology”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,590 (“In-store wirelessshopping network using hand-held devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,340,578(“Methods and apparatus for enhanced coexistence algorithms in wirelesssystems”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,315,203 (“Mapping in a multi-dimensionalspace”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,223,012 (“System and method for conveyingobject location information”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,185,137 (“Intensity-basedmaps”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,184,656 (“Control channel negotiatedintermittent wireless communication”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,180,328(“Wireless manager and method for configuring and securing wirelessaccess to a network”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,149,113 (“Apparatus and methodfor conveying location event information based on access codes”); U.S.Pat. No. 8,000,314 (“Wireless network system and method for providingsame”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,925,995 (“Integration of location logs, GPSsignals, and spatial resources for identifying user activities, goals,and context”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,848,292 (“Method of dynamicallypopulating a neighbor list in a wireless communication system”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,821,986 (“WLAN infrastructure provided directions androaming”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,716,585 (“Multi-dimensional graphical displayof discovered wireless devices”).

Referring now to FIG. 55, a system 5500 is shown in a context like thatof FIG. 2, one that highlights interpersonal communication between/amonghandheld devices 2750 and other mobile devices 1000. The depiction issimplified by including BTS 310 and several other network subsystemswithin network 5590.

Referring now to FIG. 56, a system 5600 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 5610 (an arrangement of numerous transistors andelectrical nodes 921-928 at decision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.)including one or more instances of processors 5605; of decision modules5611, 5612, 5613, 5614; of configuration modules 5621, 5622, 5623, 5624;or response modules 5631, 5632, 5633, 5634 as further described below.

With reference now to flow 6200 of FIG. 62 and to other flows describedherein, in some variants, one or more operations depicted may beperformed in preparation for or in response to or otherwise inconjunction with any of the operations described herein. Theseoperations 6252, 6255, 6257, 6259 respectively invoke one or moreinstances of circuitry (e.g. one or more node sets 4742, 4745, 4747,4749) as depicted in FIG. 47 above.

Referring now to FIG. 57, a system 5700 is shown in a context like thatof FIG. 2, one that highlights a zone boundary. Users 175, 178 areinteracting or attempting to interact via respective linkages 5762, 5763with network 5790 while user 178 approaches or crosses zone boundary7850, as depicted in FIG. 2.

With reference now to FIG. 63, shown is a high-level logic flow 6300 ofan operational process. Operation 382 describes obtaining an indicationof an account associated with a first mobile device (e.g. input module5174 receiving a customer identifier 4504 or other digital value 4551identifying an account 4555 supported by a wireless service provider).This can occur, for example, in a context in which a particular record4511 associates a user 175 with one or more device identifiers 4505identifying his communication-capable device(s); in which one suchdevice is the “first mobile” device 7102 and is uniquely identified(with a digital device identifier 4505, e.g.) in record 4511; in whichprimary unit 5110 resides in device 7102 or network 5790; and in whichone or more such devices 7102 are authorized to post charges (forminutes used or service invocations, e.g.) to the account 4555. In somecontexts in which network 5790 includes mobile switching center 600 ofFIG. 2, for example, the service provider may configure and maintainsuch records 4511, 4512 (resident in a subscriber status database 680,e.g.) to provide user 175 with an allocation 4501 of metered resources(minutes or instances per month, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,one or more such devices 7102 (implementing device 2760, e.g.) oraccounts 4555 may be shared by several users 101, 1501, 4101. See FIGS.4, 27, 45, and 57.

Operation 384 describes responding to an indication of a communicationservice via at least the first mobile device and a second mobile devicehaving been in progress when the second mobile device crossed a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN) service space boundary by allocating acommunication service cost component that depends upon when the secondmobile device crossed the WLAN service space boundary to the accountassociated with the first mobile device (e.g. response module 5634responding to one or more handover indications 4531, 4532 by subtractinga cost component 122 from balance 4502 that depends upon when device7801 apparently crossed one or more zone boundaries 7150, 7850). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which handover indication 4532resulted from device 7801 having passed from “free ride” zone 7815(within which the current user 175 of the “first” mobile device 7102effectively incurs a surcharge for a linkage 5762 via BTS, e.g.) intoWLAN zone 7214 (within which the current user 175 of the “first” mobiledevice 7102 incurs no such surcharge because linkage 5762 issubsequently provided via an access point 1820 unrelated to thesubscription in lieu of BTS 330, e.g.) while the communication service(communication 1961, e.g.) was in progress; in which the communicationservice cost component 122 has a utility value 4552 (expressed inminutes or cents, e.g.) computed as K×duration 4560; in which K=1 or inwhich K=8 cents per minute or in which K depends upon one or more otherdeterminants described herein (a digitally expressed time 1313 orlocation indication 4533, e.g.); in which such response modules residein network 1200 or in device 7102 (in firmware 4595 or othernon-volatile memory 4271 therein, e.g.); and in which such connectivitywould otherwise require device 7801 to have a conventional wirelesscarrier subscription. In some contexts, for example, suchevent-sequencing logic 1310, 5610 may be implemented as an aftermarketapp 4482 executable by a multimodal core 635 or other processor 5605 innetwork 5790, for example. Alternatively or additionally, responsemodule 5634 may be configured to determine cost component 122 as afunction of a handover indication 4531 that resulted from device 7801having passed into “free ride” zone 7815 (within which the current user175 of the “first” mobile device 7102 effectively incurs a surcharge fora linkage 5762 via BTS 330, e.g.) from a WLAN zone 7114, 7214 (withinwhich the current user 175 of the “first” mobile device 7102 incurred nosuch surcharge because linkage 5762 was provided in lieu of BTS 330,e.g.) while the communication service was in progress. This can occur,for example, in a context in which duration 4560 effectively describeshow long the communication service was supported (using cellularfrequencies as described herein, e.g.) by BTS 330.

In light of teachings herein, moreover, numerous existing techniques maybe applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing various wireless linkages as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,311,509(“Detection, communication and control in multimode cellular, TDMA, GSM,spread spectrum, CDMA, OFDM WiLAN and WiFi systems”); U.S. Pat. No.8,259,822 (“Polar and quadrature modulated cellular, WiFi, WiLAN,satellite, mobile, communication and position finder systems”); U.S.Pat. No. 8,249,256 (“Method for providing fast secure handoff in awireless mesh network”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,248,968 (“Method and apparatusfor providing mobile inter-mesh communication points in a multi-levelwireless mesh network”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,223,694 (“Enhanced informationservices using devices in short-range wireless networks”); U.S. Pat. No.8219312 (“Determining speed parameters in a geographic area”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,200,243 (“Mobile television (TV), internet, cellular systems andWi-Fi networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,184,656 (“Control channel negotiatedintermittent wireless communication”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,169,311(“Wireless transmission system for vehicular component control andmonitoring”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,165,091 (“Efficient handover of mediacommunications in heterogeneous IP networks using LAN profiles andnetwork handover rules”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,125,896 (“Individualizing aconnectivity-indicative mapping”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,111,622 (“Signalrouting dependent on a node speed change prediction”); U.S. Pat. No.8,098,753 (“Infrared, touch screen, W-CDMA, GSM, GPS camera phone”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,646,712 (“Using a signal route dependent on a node speedchange prediction”); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/317,988(Context-sensitive query enrichment“); U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/252,206 (“Signal routing dependent on a loading indicator of a mobilenode”); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/221,421 (“Heading dependentrouting”); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/221,396 (“Headingdependent routing method and network subsystem”).

Referring now to FIG. 58, a system 5800 is shown in a context like thatof FIGS. 2 & 31, one that highlights a user 177 interested in learningabout current WLAN connectivity (e.g. in zones 3121, 3122) in region3155. Even in a context in which user 177 does not have access to aconventional wireless subscription, a wireless carrier may nonethelessbe willing to facilitate user 177 getting audible instruction 5891 or alocal connectivity map segment 5892 (relating to router 3102 and zone3122, e.g.) via network 3190 and a wireless linkage 5886 with tower5885.

With reference now to FIG. 64, shown is a high-level logic flow 6400 ofan operational process. Operation 383 describes obtaining a third-partyauthorization for a rooted communication device to present geographicalWLAN connectivity data (e.g. configuration module 5621 receiving anauthorization 4665 for such data to be presented via mobile device 2750from someone who does not own either end of linkage 5886). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which an equipment manufacturer(Apple®, e.g.) originally configured mobile device 2750 so that onlypremium apps could be installed thereon; in which mobile device 2750 waslater rooted (using a current jailbreak protocol or other exploits,e.g.) so that other apps could be installed thereon; in which one ormore application modules 1041-1044 currently residing on mobile device2750 thereby have root privileges; in which the “first” party is user177; in which the “second” party owns tower 5885; and in whichauthorization 4665 is provided by “K-Corporation,” an owner of accessmap server 2300 (as a “third” party, e.g.). See FIG. 2. Alternatively oradditionally, one or more such authorizations 4665 may come from thirdparties who subscribe to a wireless carrier service and whose devicesare associated (by virtue of a call placement through a wireless carrieror “friends list” designation, e.g.) with device 2750.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing a limited access service as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,443,420(“System for communicating with a mobile device server”); U.S. Pat. No.8,341,246 (“Personal content server apparatus and methods”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,266,313 (“Live media subscription framework for mobile devices”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,166,524 (“Method and system for the authentication of auser of a data processing system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,109 (“Authorizedlocation reporting mobile communication system”); U.S. Pat. No.7,844,684 (“Live media captioning subscription framework for mobiledevices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,693,752 (“Mobile commerce framework”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,421,477 (“Real-time media captioning subscription frameworkfor mobile devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,384 (“Short message (SMS)storage system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,353,016 (“Call intercept methods, suchas for customer self-support on a mobile device”).

Operation 386 describes obtaining a first position estimate of therooted communication device (e.g. estimation module 5162 generating orreceiving two or more coordinates 2021, 2022 that roughly describe thecurrent location of mobile device 2750). This can occur, for example, ina context in which medium 2010 and event-sequencing logic 1110, 4010,5610 (including GPS module 1122 and one or more modules of FIG. 51,e.g.) reside in mobile device 2750 or network 3190. In some variants,moreover, estimation module 5162 may be invoked in response toauthorization 4665. Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts,estimation module 5162 may include a differential global positioningservice or wide area augmentation system. In some variants, moreover,such coordinates may manifest geospatial coordinates (indicating whichfloors of a building have WLAN service suitable for use by mobile device2750 according to a three-dimensional map 2330, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor characterizing a position as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,301,159 (“Displaying networkobjects in mobile devices based on geolocation”); U.S. Pat. No.8,295,853 (“Method and system for refining accuracy of locationpositioning”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,269,618 (“Method and system for remotelymonitoring the location of a vehicle”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,165,600 (“Systemand method for advertising to a Wi-Fi device”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,155,077(“Active mode internet protocol gateway relocation in a partial mesheddeployment”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,108,145 (“Downloading map segment(s) to acell phone based upon its GPS coordinates and mobility”); and U.S. Pat.No. 7,916,071 (“System and method for determining a reference locationof a mobile device”).

Operation 387 describes signaling a decision whether or not to present apositional indication of WLAN connectivity relative to the firstposition estimate at the rooted communication device or notconditionally, depending upon the third-party authorization (e.g.decision module 4064 effectuating a decision 4544 that prevents one ormore apps 4482 resident in mobile device 2750 from displaying therelative positional indication 4535 unless configuration module 5621received authorization 4665). This can occur, for example, in a contextin which user 177 was able to install a trial app 4482 fromK-Corporation (by virtue of having rooted mobile device 2750, e.g.); inwhich app 4482 usually provides navigational guidance (turn-by-turnnavigation or other audible instruction 5891, e.g.) specifying how toreach the nearest online WLAN zone 3122 but occasionally (during threerandomly-selected hours each day, e.g.) implements the decision 4544 topresent a “please subscribe to K-Corporation map service” messageinstead; and in which app 4482 updates its local connectivity mapsegment 5892 frequently irrespective of authorization 4665 (e.g.whenever mobile device 2750 enters a WLAN zone 7114, 7214); and in whichK-Corporation would otherwise need an enormous marketing budget to winwidespread acceptance of its map service. In some cases, for example,user 177 may have consented to such updates and to have her device 2750participate in ongoing map updates (e.g. by installing or activating oneor more apps 4482, 4483) by reporting indications in WLAN serviceavailability (indicating a WLAN router 3103 apparently having goneoffline, e.g.). In respective variants, moreover, device 2750 may beconfigured (by an agreement between the “second” and “third” parties,e.g.) to receive one or more such authorizations 4664, 4665 orcoordinates 2021, 2022 or decisions 4544 as described above.Alternatively or additionally, the relative positional indication 4535may (optionally) take the form of a local WLAN connectivity map segment2337 presented via display 2875 and containing a blue dot representingmobile device 2750.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for presenting relative positional information as describedherein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,447,064(“Providing travel-logs based geo-locations relative to a graphicalmap”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,373,582 (“Adaptive pattern recognition basedcontroller apparatus and method and human-factored interfacetherefore”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,339,394 (“Automatic method for phototexturing geolocated 3-D models from geolocated imagery”); U.S. Pat. No.8,135,624 (“User profile and geolocation for efficient transactions”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,720,436 (“Displaying network objects in mobile devicesbased on geolocation”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,565,156 (“Method and techniquefor the processing and display of wideband geolocation determinationdata”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,336,181 (“Tagging and tracking system for assetsand personnel of a commercial enterprise”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,467,951(“Navigation system with alternative route determination mechanism andmethod of operation thereof”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,397,168 (“Interfacingwith a spatial virtual communication environment”); U.S. Pat. No.8,121,781 (“System and method for reducing the amount of repetitive datasent by a server to a client for vehicle navigation”); U.S. Pat. No.8,027,787 (“Vehicle navigation system and method”); U.S. Pat. No.8,014,942 (“Remote destination programming for vehicle navigation”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,840,348 (“Output control method of voice guidance signalin navigation system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,742,774 (“Location-based textmessaging”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,741,968 (“System and method for navigationtracking of individuals in a group”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,478(“Service-rendering system, service-rendering apparatus and method, andnavigation apparatus and method”).

Referring now to FIG. 71, a system 7100 is shown comprisingevent-sequencing logic 7110 (an arrangement of numerous nodes atdecision-indicative levels, e.g.) including one or more instances ofcircuitry 7191 configured to obtain from a user of a first mobile devicea network access authorization temporarily associating a second mobiledevice with an account associated with the first mobile device or ofcircuitry 7192 configured to respond to an interpersonal communicationvia the second mobile device by authorizing a communication servicecharge automatically and conditionally, partly based on a hotspotnetwork access being inadequate in a vicinity of the second mobiledevice and partly based on the network access authorization temporarilyassociating the second mobile device with the account associated withthe first mobile device from the user of the first mobile device. Alsoas described below, circuitry 7191 may include or interact with one ormore instances of a node set 7181 (comprising one or more magnetic oroptical or mechanical or fluidic or electrical nodes, for example, orsome combination thereof) upon which a configuration (of respectivelevels, e.g.) may manifest a device-usable code sequence (an instructionsequence executable by a processor, e.g.) or other such informationdescribed below. Circuitry 7192 may likewise include or interact withone or more instances of a node set 7182 upon which a configuration maymanifest such information.

With reference now to FIG. 65, shown is a high-level logic flow 6500 ofan operational process. Operation 381 describes obtaining from a user ofa first mobile device a network access authorization temporarilyassociating a second mobile device with an account associated with thefirst mobile device (e.g. validation module 5112 receiving from user1501 an authorization 4666 for device 2750 to access network 1200 for asingle occasion or a specific duration 4562). See FIGS. 2 & 27. This canoccur, for example, in a context in which a device 2760 belonging touser 1501 is the “first” mobile device; in which user 1501 subscribes toa cellular service (provided by Verizon®, e.g.) by which one or moreaccounts 4335, 4555 are maintained (by a monthly replenishment andbilling, e.g.); in which the single occasion comprises a telephone call1951 initiated by user 1501; and in which the one or more media(depicted in FIGS. 43-46, e.g.) reside in network 1200. Alternatively oradditionally, one or more such validation modules 5111-5114 may beconfigured to request such authorization 4666 (via device 2760, e.g.)when one or more account-specific criteria 4621-4623 defined by thecellular service are met. In some contexts, for example, validationmodule 5112 may offer user 1501 a menu 4570 (including one or more voiceprompts 4571, e.g.) that can accept an authorization duration 4562specified by user 1501.

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor establishing or characterizing a communication channel as describedherein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,523(“Automatic determination of success of using a computerized decisionsupport system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,233,471 (“Wireless network system andmethod for providing same”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,975 (“Universal packetloss recovery system for delivery of real-time streaming multimediacontent over packet-switched networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,054,856(“Method for synchronizing voice traffic with minimum latency in acommunications network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,835,314 (“Physical layerinterface system and method for a wireless communication system”); andU.S. Pat. No. 7,787,896 (“Dispatch service architecture framework”).

Operation 385 describes responding to an interpersonal communication viathe second mobile device by authorizing a communication service chargeautomatically and conditionally, partly based on a hotspot networkaccess being inadequate in a vicinity of the second mobile device andpartly based on the network access authorization temporarily associatingthe second mobile device with the account associated with the firstmobile device from the user of the first mobile device (e.g. responsemodule 5632 responding to an indication 4536 of one or moreinterpersonal communications 1961-1963 including device 2750 byauthorizing a cost component 122 to be charged to account 4335 if one ormore account-specific criteria 4621-4624 are met). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which such authorizations are “conditional” inthat they generally would not occur otherwise; in which response module5632 takes such action as a real-time response to the interpersonalcommunication(s); in which a device 1910 described herein (comprisingsecondary unit 5120, e.g.) implements event-sequencing logic 5610; andin which response module 5632 associates account 4335 with one or morecriteria 4624 indicative of inadequate hotspot availability orperformance as described herein. Alternatively or additionally, in somevariants, an instance of device 2750 (implementing device 2910, e.g.)may encounter inadequate hotspot network access (for a telephonic callof typical duration, e.g.) by virtue of crossing out of wireless servicespace too frequently or by being in a region 3155 (a cell of a cellularnetwork defining a vicinity of device 2750, e.g.) in which only aminority of the region (e.g. zones 3122, 3133) comprise WLAN accessspace. This may be implemented, for example, as the response module(s)5632 having been configured to respond to one or more of (1) anindication 4537 of an excessive data block delivery failure rate, (2) anindication 4538 that the first mobile device exceeded a wireless serviceboundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval, or (3)other such conditional indications 4539 of hotspot network access beinginadequate (specified by a user 1501 or a device manufacturer, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing a monitoring operation as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,447,690(“Business and social media system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,447,303 (“Methodand system for automatic seamless mobility”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,423,768(“Method for controlling the location information for authentication ofa mobile station”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,270,346 (“Dynamic call anchoring”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,165,626 (“System and method of telephonic dialingsimulation”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,140,060 (“Method and architecture todeliver pre-customized business card multimedia contents throughIMS-based PLMNs for improving the existing calling line identificationservice”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,872,996 (“Mobile communication system andcommunication method thereof”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,944 (“Method andapparatus for call notification and delivery to a busy mobile station”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,184,448 (“Adaptive modulation method, radio networkcontroller, and mobile communication system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,675(“System and method for controlling telephone service using a wirelesspersonal information device”).

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor signaling an availability or other status as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,306,005(“Dynamic communication and method of use”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,289,210(“Location measurement acquisition adaptive optimization”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,271,626 (“Methods for displaying physical network topology andenvironmental status by location, organization, or responsible party”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,260,896 (“Monitoring business machines using a meshnetwork on field nodes”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,249,616 (“Satellite (GPS)assisted clock apparatus, circuits, systems and processes for cellularterminals on asynchronous networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,208,489 (“Methodfor reporting downstream packet resequencing status in cable modem”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,195,198 (“System, method and apparatus for protectingprivacy when a mobile device is located in a defined privacy zone”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,108,501 (“Searching and route mapping based on a socialnetwork, location, and time”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,059,788 (“Telephonesoftware testing system and method”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,059,011 (“Outagenotification system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,037,126 (“Systems and methods ofdynamically checking freshness of cached objects based on link status”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,230 (“Robotic ordering and delivery apparatuses,systems and methods”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,005,911 (“Systems forcommunicating current location information among mobile internet usersand methods therefor”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,648 (“Map display system andmethod”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,017 (“Assessing wireless networkquality”).

One or more of operations 6572, 6574, 6577, 6579 may be performed inpreparation for or in response to or otherwise in conjunction withoperation 385. Operation 6572 describes establishing a conference callamong several devices as the communication, the several devicesincluding the first mobile device and the second mobile device (e.g.configuration module 5622 implementing a telephone call 1951 among agroup of several user devices that includes at least two mobile devices2750, 2760). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the call1951 is initiated by several users each calling a third device (a hubapparatus 100, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, the call 1951 mayinclude one or more participants (including user 175 or user 1501 oruser 2701, e.g.) who are called by the “third” device (implementingservice request handling module 144, e.g.) in response to a request fromanother participant.

Operation 6574 describes establishing the communication via at least thefirst mobile device and the second mobile device responsive to receivinga charge authorization from a user of a third device (e.g. configurationmodule 5623 establishing one or more sessions 1952 or otherinterpersonal communications 1961-1963 via mobile devices 2750, 2760responsive to receiving one or more authorizations 4665-4667 from a user4101 of apparatus 100). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich event-sequencing logic 5610 resides in one or more switches 1996,4110, 4120 or in network 1200; and in which user 4101 is a subscriber oremployee of a wireless carrier. In some contexts, for example, suchauthorization may apply to any such communications that mobile device2760 initiates (pursuant to user 1501 subscribing to a map serviceprovider or cellular provider, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,such authorization may apply only to a single interpersonalcommunication that includes a subscriber's device 2760 (a call from anon-subscriber's device 2750 to the subscriber's device 2760, e.g.).

Operation 6577 describes assigning a cost component of the communicationto an account associated with a third mobile device conditionally, inresponse to receiving a charge authorization from the third mobiledevice before receiving any charge authorization from the first mobiledevice (e.g. response module 5631 causing a value 4553 of anon-subscriber's device 2750 participating in the communication to bededucted from an account 4556 associated with a device 7102 that belongsto a user 175 whose customer identifier is “429053-4101” rather thanfrom another account 4555). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich the communication (an interpersonal communication 1961-1963described above, e.g.) includes a “first” mobile device 2760 and a“second” mobile device 2750 as well as the “third” mobile device 7102;in which user 175 and user 4101 are both subscribers of a wirelesscarrier who maintains subscriber status database 680; and in whichresponse module 5631 would ordinarily have requested such authorizations4665-4668 from respective users in response to the communication but inwhich such request was unnecessary this time because user 175 providedan authorization 4668 for such cost component assignments in advance(pre-authorized before anyone initiated the communication, e.g.).

In some variants a value 4553 of cost component 122 may be fifteen“minutes” even when the communication only lasted five minutes. This canoccur, for example, either as a per-communication cost (fifteen“minutes” consumed per instance of a non-subscribing guestparticipation, e.g.) or as a premium usage rate (three account “minutes”consumed per minute of non-subscribing guest participation, e.g.). Ineither case, such a cost component 122 may result directly in a negativebalance (exceeding the usage limit by charging 15 “minutes” to anaccount having a current balance of 13 “minutes,” e.g.) for this monthfor user 175 even if his own participation in the communication did notincur any cost (because it was not during peak hours or because he wasin WLAN zone 7114 during the call, e.g.). This can occur, for example,where the account 4556 associated with the “third” mobile device 7102indicates that an 800-minute monthly allocation with only 13 minutesleft will be replenished in 23 days (see FIG. 4D).

Operation 6579 describes manifesting the communication by establishing adirect wireless linkage between a cell tower and the second mobiledevice partly based on receiving a charge authorization and partly basedon the second mobile device not having WLAN service (e.g. decisionmodule 5612 implementing a decision 4545 to establish one or morewireless linkages 5886 directly between mobile device 2750 and a celltower 5885 partly based on receiving one or more such authorizations4665-4667 and partly based on an indication 4536 of mobile device 2750being in cell-only zone 7115). This can occur, for example, in a contextin which mobile device 2750 is the “second” mobile device; in whichwireless linkage 5886 is “direct” by virtue of spanning a free spacemedium (air, e.g.) of several meters or more without active components(repeaters, e.g.) that extend the span by receiving and relayingwireless signals; in which such a linkage usually would not occurwithout such assistance from cell tower 5885; and in which suchimplementation occurs as a real-time response (within a few seconds,e.g.) to someone (a third party, e.g.) entering such authorization(s).Alternatively or additionally, decision module 5612 may performoperation 6579 by establishing the direct wireless linkage between celltower 3085 and the “second” mobile device 1750 partly based on havingreceived the authorization 4667 earlier and partly based on one or moreusers 178, 179 of mobile device 1750 requesting to establish thecommunication while in “free ride” zone 7815.

With reference now to flow 6600 of FIG. 66 and to other flows describedabove, in some variants, one or more of operations 6654, 6655, 6657,6658 may be performed in preparation for or in response to or otherwisein conjunction with any of operations 24-35 or 371-380 described above.

Operation 6654 describes causing a data component of a wireless signalto be processed by a special-purpose module in a handheld device as anautomatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperaturesensor in the handheld device (e.g. response module 1735 routing some orall of wireless signal 1324 to a special-purpose video data processingmodule 2642 unless and until an indication 1343 is received thattemperature sensor 608 exceeds a threshold). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which a handheld device 2760 implements controllogic 610 and other event-sequencing logic 1110, 1350; in whichcomparator 1162 is configured to determine whether atemperature-indicative signal 2051 therefrom exceeds threshold 2083 andto transmit a Boolean result 1413 of the comparison to response module1735; in which threshold 2083 is calibrated so that the effectivetemperature threshold is 47° C.; and in which an extended use ofprocessing module 2642 would otherwise make it uncomfortable for user1501 to hold device 2760. In some contexts, for example, device 2760 mayimplement one or more other devices 1000, 1750 described herein.Alternatively or additionally, an instance of application module 1043may be implemented in a server 1396 remote from handheld device 2760 andconfigured to perform operation 6654 remotely (by controlling how muchdata 1303, 1304 to include in a wireless signal 1324 as a function ofthe state 618 of a temperature sensor 608 residing in handheld device2760, e.g.). By postponing or refraining from transmitting some of thedata 1304, for example, such an application module 1043 can effectivelycause handheld device 2760 to cool down remotely (by deactivating orslowing operations in one or more processing modules 2641, 2642 aboardhandheld device 2760, e.g.) without wasting transmission bandwidth. Inanother variant, moreover, operation 6654 may be performed by aspecial-purpose response module implemented as or operably coupled withcircuitry 671 having an event-sequencing structure (an instance ofnumerous transistors 351, 352 and voltage levels 311-314 in one or moreintegrated circuits 361, e.g.) configured to cause a data component of awireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in ahandheld device 2760 as an automatic and conditional response to athermal state 618 of a temperature sensor 608 in the handheld device2760.

Operation 6655 describes causing a data component of a wireless signalto be processed by a special-purpose module in a portable device as anautomatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery inthe portable device (e.g. response module 1736 causing one or moresegments 2432-2434 of a wireless signal 2430 to be handled by aspecial-purpose processing module 2644 in a portable detection unit 2610as an automatic and conditional response to a sufficient charging state2617 of a battery 2615). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich detection unit 2610 comprises a portable device 1750; in which atleast some segments 2434 include coordinates 2021, 2022 in a virtualreality space (game data, e.g.); in which processing module 2644comprises an FFT module 1823 or other such special-purpose componentsimplemented in FPGA 1870; and in which real-time rendering in responseto coordinates 2021, 2022 or other such processing-intensive functionswould not otherwise be feasible in a production-grade portable device1750. In another variant, moreover, operation 6655 may be performed by aspecial-purpose response module implemented as or operably coupled withcircuitry 2682 having an event-sequencing structure configured to causea data component of a wireless signal to be processed by aspecial-purpose module 425 in a portable secondary device 220(instantiated in one or more devices 1000, 1750, 1758 of network 1700,e.g.) as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of abattery 2615. This can occur, for example, in a context in whichspecial-purpose module 425 comprises an FFT module 592, sorting module595, or detection module 599 formed directly on integrated circuit 440(implementing ASIC 540, e.g.).

Operation 6657 describes causing a data component of a wireless signalto be processed by a special-purpose module in a mobile device as anautomatic and conditional response to a control component of thewireless signal (e.g. interface module 1724 directing one or more datasegments 2431-2433 of a wireless signal 2430 from device 1774 to beprocessed by a special-purpose decryption module 1131 within device 1750as a conditional response to a control parameter 2431 in the wirelesssignal 2430 being “10”). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich interface module 1724 would direct data segments 2432, 2433 to bedecrypted conventionally (by a general purpose central processing unit212 executing decryption code 2425 resident in internal cache 215, e.g.)in response to control parameter 2431 being “00” or “01” or “11”; and inwhich the algorithm embodied in such decryption code 2425 would be morereadily susceptible to reverse engineering (decompilation, e.g.) thanspecial-purpose decryption module 1131. In some contexts, for example,such a data segment 2432 may (optionally) include telephonic or otherencrypted audio data blocks 2131-2133. Alternatively or additionally, insome embodiments, an initiation module 174 in device 1774 may performoperation 6657 by configuring control parameter 2431 to have a value(“10” or “11,” e.g.) that causes interface module 1723 to routeunencrypted data blocks 2121-2123 to a special-purpose digital-to-analogconverter 1125. This can occur, for example, in a context in whichinterface module 1723 would direct data segments 2432, 2433 to beconverted conventionally (by DAC 1126, e.g.) in response to controlparameter 2431 being “00” or “01”. Alternatively or additionally, insome embodiments, a response module 1737 may be configured to perform aninstance of operation 6657 by enabling one or more other responsemodules 1735, 1736 conditionally, based upon a control parameter 2431 ina received wireless signal 2430. In another variant, moreover, operation6657 may be performed by a special-purpose interface module implementedas or operably coupled with circuitry 2471 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to cause a data segment 2434 of a wireless signal2430 to be processed by a special-purpose module (FFT module 592 orsorting module 595 or other detection module 599, e.g.) in one or moremobile devices 1000, 2760, 7802 as an automatic and conditional responseto a control parameter 2431 (access code 2032, e.g.) of the wirelesssignal 2430.

Operation 6658 describes causing first content of a wireless signal topass either through a first memory of a particular device or through asecond memory of the particular device selected as an automatic andconditional response to whether or not second content of the wirelesssignal satisfies a first criterion (e.g. interface module 1722 routingdata blocks in a wireless signal 1321 to pass through queue 570 if theycomprise auditory data 2120 and otherwise generally to pass throughqueue 580). This can occur, for example, in a context in which wirelesssignal 1321 also includes a Boolean indication 2102 of whether or notthe data blocks comprise auditory data 2120, in which queue 570 residesin cache 255 or other volatile memory 262, in which queue 580 resides inphase change memory 231 or other non-volatile memory 242; and in whichprimary device 210 (instantiated in one or more devices 1752, 1754 ofnetwork 1700, e.g.) would otherwise need either to provide an ongoingbias current to volatile memory 262 or to incur performance degradation(resulting from excessive interaction with non-volatile memory 242,e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, interface module 1722 may beconfigured to route the data blocks in wireless signal 1321 to passthrough queue 570 conditionally in response to a “positive” Booleanindication 2103 (signifying that they comprise encrypted data 2130,e.g.). In another variant, moreover, operation 6658 may be performed bya special-purpose interface module implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 2481 having an event-sequencing structure configured tocause a data component 881 of a wireless signal 2430 to pass through aless-accessible non-volatile memory 243 of an integrated circuit(primary device 210, e.g.) if a configuration component 882 of wirelesssignal 2430 satisfies a 1st criterion and otherwise to cause the datacomponent 881 to pass through more-accessible memory 242 of theintegrated circuit.

With reference now to flow 6700 of FIG. 67 and to other flows describedabove, in some variants, several modes are presented. A first providesoperation 6752 and operation 6755. A second provides operation 6756 andoperation 6757. A third provides operation 6758 and operation 6759. Oneor more of these modes may be performed in preparation for or inresponse to or otherwise in conjunction with any of the operationsdescribed above.

Operation 6752 describes causing a configurable core in a first coreoperating mode to draw from a first data queue of a particular device(e.g. response module 1731 triggering a dual-mode core 711 to draw fromdata queue 580). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichevent-sequencing logic 710, 910 (instantiated ASIC 540 or in one or moredevices 1000, 1750, 1760 of network 1700, e.g.) implements the firstcore operating mode as a “positive” Boolean value 743 (as a nominalvoltage level less than one volt at electrical node 924, e.g.); and inwhich dual-mode core 711 is operating in a low-voltage core operatingmode 721 (manifesting Boolean value 743, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, such triggering may invoke special-purpose circuitry 681having an event-sequencing structure (an arrangement of transistors andvoltage levels in one or more integrated circuits, e.g.) configured tocause a multimodal core 635 or other configurable core 733 to draw fromdata queue 580.

Operation 6755 describes signaling a decision whether or not to causethe configurable core to draw from the first data queue of theparticular device in a second core operating mode as an automatic andconditional response to an indication of a data volume of the first dataqueue crossing a volume threshold (e.g. configuration module 2691manifesting a decision whether or not to cause the dual-mode core 711 orother configurable core 733 to draw from data queue 580 in another coreoperating mode as an automatic and conditional response to an indication1345 of a volume 706 of data queue 580 crossing volume threshold 2087).This can occur, for example, in a context in which the “other” coreoperating mode 722 is a higher-voltage mode (implementing a “negative”Boolean value 743 as a nominal voltage level 314 greater than one voltat electrical node 924, e.g.) and in which maintaining effectiveprocessing throughput would otherwise require one or more additionalcores 731, 732 drawing from data queue 580. In some variants, moreover,operation 6755 may be performed by a special-purpose configurationmodule implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 761 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to signal a decision 2222 whetheror not to cause an activation module 709 to select and activate adifferent core operating mode for one or more cores 733 partly based onBoolean value 743 and partly based on a charging sensor state 2617 of adetection unit 2610 operably coupled to event-sequencing logic 710.

Operation 6756 describes causing a configurable core in a first coreoperating mode to draw from a first data queue of a particular device(e.g. response module 1732 directing a dual-mode core 712 to draw fromdata queue 580). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichevent-sequencing logic 910 implements Boolean value 742 at electricalnode 922 (as a voltage level, e.g.); in which ASIC 540 includesevent-sequencing logic 710, 910 (instantiated in one or more devices1000, 1750, 1762 of network 1700, e.g.); and in which one or moredual-mode cores 712 are operating in a higher-voltage core operatingmode 722 (manifesting Boolean value 742, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, such operation may comprise special-purpose circuitry 682having an event-sequencing structure configured to cause a multimodalcore 635 or other configurable core 733 to draw from data queue 580.

Operation 6757 describes signaling a decision whether or not to causethe configurable core to draw from the first data queue of theparticular device in a second core operating mode as an automatic andconditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in theparticular device (e.g. configuration module 2692 signaling a decision2224 whether or not to cause dual-mode core 712 to use a lower-voltageoperating mode 721 in processing item 582 as a conditional response totemperature sensor 608 indicating a thermal state 618 hotter than adesign threshold 2088). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich threshold 2088 is higher than 43° C.; in which temperature sensor608 is calibrated to implement threshold 2088 by design (lacking anyexplicit access to thresholds 2081-2089, e.g.); in which device 1750includes detection unit 2610 and medium 2210; in which ASIC 540 includescontrol logic 610; and in which such effective processing throughputwould otherwise make device 1750 uncomfortable for user 1501 to hold formore than a minute. Alternatively or additionally, in some variants,threshold 2088 may be lower than 47° C. In some variants, moreover,operation 6757 may be performed by a special-purpose configurationmodule implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 672 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to signal a decision 2224 whetheror not to cause a multimodal core 635 or other configurable core 733 tochange core operating modes as an automatic and conditional response toa thermal state 618 of a temperature sensor 608.

Operation 6758 describes causing a configurable core in a first coreoperating mode to draw from a first data queue of a particular device(e.g. response module 1733 triggering a multimodal core 635 to draw fromdata queue 580). This can occur, for example, in a context in which ASIC540 includes control logic 610 (instantiated in one or more devices1760, 1770 of network 1700, e.g.) and in which control logic 610implements a mode designation decision 2223 of “A” (signifying anerror-tolerant operating mode 630 that is faster than operating mode 631and that runs cooler than operating mode 632, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, in some variants, such triggering may invokespecial-purpose circuitry 683 having an event-sequencing structureconfigured to cause one or more dual-mode cores 711, 712 or other cores731-733 to draw from data queue 580.

Operation 6759 describes signaling a decision whether or not to causethe configurable core to draw from the first data queue of theparticular device in a second core operating mode as an automatic andconditional response to a charging state of a battery in the particulardevice (e.g. configuration module 2693 acting upon a mode designationdecision 2223 of “B” before or while processing item 583 from data queue580 partly based on charging sensor 2607 indicating a sufficientcharging state 2617 and partly based on another Boolean value 741). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which ASIC 540 is operativelycoupled with detection logic 2610; in which a mode designation decision2223 of “B” signifies a high-latency operating mode 631 (one that runscooler than operating mode 632 and that results in a lower error ratethan that of operating mode 630, e.g.); and in which optimizing ahigh-throughput processing application across a family of devices(having similar architecture but different power source attributes,e.g.) would otherwise be impractical. In some contexts, for example,activation module 708 may (optionally) be configured to implement suchdecision 2223 by switching multimodal core 635 into its high-latencyoperating mode 631 immediately. Alternatively or additionally, Booleanvalue 741 may manifest one or more of a thermal state 618 of atemperature sensor 608 (as decision 2224, e.g.) or an indication 1345 ofa volume 706 of data queue 580 crossing volume threshold 2087. In somevariants, moreover, operation 6759 may be performed by a special-purposeconfiguration module implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry2681 having an event-sequencing structure configured to signal adecision 2225 whether or not to cause a dual-mode core 712 to draw fromdata queue 580 in a higher-voltage core operating mode 722 as anautomatic and conditional response to charging sensor 2607 indicating asufficient charging state 2617.

With reference now to flow 6800 of FIG. 68 and to other flows describedabove, in some variants, one or more of operations 6851, 6853, 6855,6857, 6859 may be performed in preparation for or in response to orotherwise in conjunction with any of the operations described above.

Operation 6851 describes detecting a series of service region departureevents (e.g. registration module 1974 detecting occurrences of device2910 departing from zone 2980 at position 2908 and from zone 2970 atposition 2909, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichdevice 1910 comprises or receives data from device 2910 and in whichregistration module 1974 could not otherwise detect an unsuitableservice availability context (driving through a thicket of noncontiguousservice gaps, e.g.) would not otherwise be cost effective to implementcommercially. In some contexts, for example, device 2910 can report suchdeparture events some time later (via telephone switch 1996 or whendevice 2910 comes into a WLAN communication range 2866 of WLAN router2860, e.g.). In another variant, moreover, operation 6851 may beperformed by a special-purpose aggregation module implemented as oroperably coupled with circuitry 2501 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to detect status data 2320 that includesindications 2276, 2277 of two or more such departure events. See FIG.34.

Operation 6853 describes incrementally decreasing a dataflow through awireless communication channel (e.g. configuration module 2675 causing asomewhat smaller fraction 2011 of user data 2150 to pass via a wirelesslinkage 2767 as a conditional response to one or more Boolean values741-745 described herein). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich device 2760 includes event-sequencing logic 1210 (instantiated inone or more devices 1780, 1782 of network 1700, e.g.); in which userdata 2150 comprises a series 2125 of data blocks 2121, 2122, 2123 mostor all of which were obtained from user 1501 via a microphone 1217,2817; in which at least a remainder of the user data 2150 comprises asignal 2758 passing through another channel 2780; in which channel 2770is “wireless” by virtue of having at least one wireless linkage 2767; inwhich configuration module 2675 causes fraction 2011 to drop by at mostabout half during operation 6853; and in which such incremental decreaseeases congestion in a vicinity of linkage 2767. In some contexts, forexample, operation 6853 may result from one or more indications offaster processing of signal 2758 (manifested by one or more Booleanvalues 742, 743 described herein, e.g.). In another variant, moreover,operation 6853 may be performed by a special-purpose configurationmodule 2675 (in supervisor unit 1630, e.g.) implemented as circuitry2503 having an event-sequencing structure configured to decrease a dataflow rate 2095 through linkage 4151 incrementally (by an incrementaladjustment to a voice sampling rate 2096 applied to a signal 2059 frommicrophone 1217 during a telephone call 1951, e.g.). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which a degradation of service (dropped call,e.g.) resulting from excessive network resource loading would nototherwise motivate a voluntary incremental attrition of participants ininterpersonal communications (video chats, e.g.).

Operation 6855 describes signaling a decision whether or not to transmitany user data via a first communication channel (e.g. configurationmodule 2676 transmitting a Boolean decision 2226 whether or not totransmit any user data 2150 via linkage 4161 as a conditional responseto one or more Boolean values 741-745 described herein). This can occur,for example, in a context in which configuration module 2676 generatesdecision 2226 by combining Boolean values 741, 742 (with an AND gate oroperation, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover, such decision 2226 may beoverridden by one or more other Boolean values 743, 744 described hereinbeing positive. In another variant, moreover, operation 6855 may beperformed by a special-purpose configuration module implemented as oroperably coupled with circuitry 2505 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to signal a Boolean decision 2226 whether or not totransmit any user data 2150 via queue 580.

Operation 6857 describes signaling a decision whether or not to adjust alatency threshold for user data (e.g. a special-purpose processingmodule 2643 signaling a decision 2227 whether or not to adjust a latencythreshold 2089 for user data 2150). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which user data 2150 comprises sequential video or voice datasegments 2431-2433 encoded at device 1768; in which segments 2431, 2433arrive promptly at device 1750 via wireless linkage 1771 but in whichsegment 2432 is significantly delayed; in which a response module 1738applies an effective latency threshold 2089 (and an arrival time of oneor more other segments, e.g.) in deciding when to treat segment 2432 aslost and to play segment 2433 (via decoding module 1151 and via aspeaker 442 or display 445, e.g.); in which device 2760 event-sequencinglogic 1110; and in which such playing of segment 2433 would otherwiseoccur too late (due to a large latency threshold 2089 that waspreviously necessary being maintained unnecessarily, e.g.). In somecontexts, for example, decision 2227 may result in an effective latencybeing reduced from 0.3 seconds to 0.1 seconds in response to anindication 2078 of a significant bit error rate decrease or to anindication 2079 of a significant signal strength increase or to othersuch manifestations of improved channel performance received from one ormore detection modules 1673, 1674 described herein. (Except as noted,such quantitative changes as described herein are “significant” if theyexceed 20% of a baseline value.) In another variant, moreover, operation6857 may be performed by a special-purpose processing module implementedas or operably coupled with circuitry 2507 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to signal a conditional decision 2227 whether ornot to increase the effective latency threshold 2089 (to more than 1second, e.g.) in response a user's activation of a speech recognitionmodule 1123 (implemented in device 1768 or device 2760, e.g.) so thatwords are recognized in data segments 2431-2433 there. In some contexts,such recognized words may then be processed by a translation module (aninstance of interlingual translation application module 1044 ortext-to-speech translation module 1124, e.g.) before being played (viaspeaker 442 or display 445, e.g.).

Operation 6859 describes comparing a data block delivery failure rateagainst a threshold (e.g. detection module 1673 comparing a data blockdelivery failure rate 2091 against a threshold 2081. This can occur, forexample, in a context in which device 2771 includes one or more antennas4205, 1905 operably connected (via channel 2770, e.g.) with network 1990(including device 2750, e.g.) and in which detection module 1673 wouldotherwise need to rely upon cruder channel metrics (signal strength orresource loading, e.g.) in deciding how to route user data 2150.Alternatively or additionally, operation 6859 may be performed by aspecial-purpose detection module implemented as or operably coupled withcircuitry 2509 having an event-sequencing structure configured tocompare a data block delivery failure rate against a threshold asdescribed above with reference to flow 3200.

With reference now to flow 6900 of FIG. 69 and to other flows describedabove, in some variants, one or more of operations 6952, 6954, 6956,6958 may be performed in preparation for or in response to or otherwisein conjunction with any of the operations described above.

Operation 6952 describes implementing a specific positional model torepresent both an isotropic radiator and an anisotropic radiator (e.g.aggregation module 1172 generating or updating a geographic model 2301that includes a record 2327 indicating an approximate position 2341 andradius 2345 relating to a range of router 3101 and also a record 2328indicating more complex shape-descriptive information 2313 relating to arange of router 3103). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich record 2327 identifies a round region (approximating the zone 3121served by router 3101 and having a radius 2345, e.g.); in which record2328 identifies an oblong region (approximating the zone 3123 served byrouter 3103, e.g.); and in which model 2301 could not otherwise maintainan accurate geographical distribution of wireless service status inregion 3155 effectively on an ongoing basis. In a context of one or morerouters 3101-3103 reportedly failing to provide service (based upon areport from a device 3180 that failed to obtain service via router 3101at position 2348, e.g.), aggregation module 1172 may update model 2301(from version 2363 indicating service in zone 2351, e.g.) to a version2362 showing loss of service at other positions 2349 also. Alternativelyor additionally, in some contexts, operation 6952 may be performed by aspecial-purpose aggregation module implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 2502 having an event-sequencing structure (an instance ofnumerous transistors 351, 352 and voltage levels 311-314 in one or moreintegrated circuits 361, e.g.) configured to implement a model 2201comprising an image 2251 (shown via display 445, e.g.) depicting aregion 4165 (served by device 4160, modeled as an isotropic radiator,e.g.) and another region 4155 (approximated as a semicircular map region2255, e.g.) served by device 4150 (represented as an anisotropicradiator, e.g.).

Operation 6954 describes signaling a result to a user via another device(e.g. transmission module 1183 transmitting one or more indications1253, 1254, 1341-1345, 2071-2079 as described herein remotely to adevice 2760 held by user 4101). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which an instance of event-sequencing logic 1110 (implementedin device 1776, e.g.) comprises a transmission module 1183 that isremote from device 2760. In some contexts, for example, the result cancomprise one or more instances (1) of clips 2090 generated by an audiocapture module 1121 or by a video capture module 1121; (2) ofcoordinates 2021, 2022 from GPS module 1122; (3) of textual expressions1432 of a word from speech recognition module 1123; (4) of decrypteddata blocks from decryption module 1132; (5) of decoded data blocks 2122from decoding module 1152; (6) of maps 2330, records 2327-2329, or othermanifestation of a model 2201, 2301 from aggregation module 1174; or (7)of other such results from special-purpose event-sequencing logic(depicted in FIGS. 7-13, e.g.) or flows (depicted in FIGS. 32-36, e.g.)described herein. In some contexts, moreover, operation 6954 may beperformed by a special-purpose transmission module implemented as oroperably coupled with circuitry 2471 remote from user 4101 and having anevent-sequencing structure configured to transmit a wireless signal soas to cause a manifestation of such result(s) as voltage levels (atelectrical nodes 921-928, e.g.) via an instance of event-sequencinglogic 2410 (and via a speaker 442 or display 445, e.g.) that is local touser 4101. This can occur, for example, in a context in which integratedcircuit 440 includes event-sequencing logic 2410.

Operation 6956 describes transmitting user data via an ad hoc network(e.g. interface module 1725 or notification module 1745 routing at leastsome user data 2150 via one or more wireless linkages of an ad hocnetwork 1790). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichtransmission module 1184 comprises software (resident in phase-changememory 4231 or removable memory 4232, e.g.) executable by CPU 4212 andin which one or more devices 4210, 1750, 2760 send or receive such userdata 2150 (comprising one or more interpersonal communications1961-1963, e.g.) as described herein via wireless linkage 1771.Alternatively or additionally, operation 6956 may be performed by aspecial-purpose transmission module implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 2506 having an event-sequencing structure configured totransmit status data 2320 or other signals 2051-2059 relating touser-owned devices, e.g.) via network 1790.

Operation 6958 describes displaying via a mobile device at least some ofa map that depicts a cost-indicative service boundary relating to aprospective intercommunication (e.g. notification module 1741 causing amap 2330 that depicts a geographic cost transition relating to aninterpersonal communication 1961 with a user 2701 of a remote device2750 to be displayed before the communication begins). This can occur,for example, in a context in which user 4101 views a display 445 thatdepicts one or more versions 2361, 2362, 2363 of a segment of map 2330(successively, e.g.); in which map 2330 represents one or more suchcost-indicative service boundaries as a low-cost-service region (a zone2353 shown in green, e.g.) bordering a higher-cost-service region orfree-service region (a zone 2356 shown in white, e.g.); in which suchcosts will be incurred by user 4101 if the interpersonal communication1961 takes place; and in which such costs would otherwise (withoutnotification module 1741, e.g.) be incurred without adequate warning. Insome contexts, for example, one or more such versions 2361 depict a costtransition relating to costs that will be incurred by the user 2701 ofthe remote device 2750 (a zone 2351 shown in orange bordered by anothercost-indicative service boundary, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,such zone 2351 depicted in orange may become available (in a newerversion 2363 of segment 2337, e.g.) as a response to user 2701 placing acall to device 2760 (while device 2760 is ringing, e.g.). Alternativelyor additionally, such zone 2351 depicted in orange may become available(to user 4101, activated by saying “local roaming map” or by pushing abutton, e.g.) as a response to user 4101 entering user data 2150 (via akeypad of device 2760, e.g.) that identifies device 2750 (phone number2285, e.g.). In another variant, moreover, operation 6958 may beperformed by a special-purpose notification module implemented as oroperably coupled with circuitry 2508 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to maintain a regional map 2330 (on server 1396,e.g.) that features one or more cost-indicative service boundaries 2961,2971 relating to prospective intercommunications via device 2910. One ormore versions of regional map 2330 may be updated, in some variants, inresponse to a positional or other status indication (signifyingcoordinates 2021, 2022 or operability status, e.g.) relating one or moreservice facilitation devices. In some contexts, for example, suchdevices (instantiated in one or more devices 1772, 1782 of network 1700,e.g.) may include a tower 3085 or vehicle 1510 or mounted device 1530.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 6300, operation 382 may likewise(optionally) be performed by a special-purpose input module 5174implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 4921 having anevent-sequencing structure (an instance of event-sequencing logic 4910in device 1000, e.g.) configured to obtain an indication of an accountassociated with a first mobile device. This can occur, for example, in acontext in which a non-subscribing user 177 tries to reach asubscriber's device 1000 via network 5590 by dialing providing anidentifier 2286; in which network 5590 includes base transceiverstations 310, 330; in which device 1000 is the “first” mobile device.See FIGS. 2 and 55. Alternatively or additionally, decision module 4061may include an electrical or other node set 4931 upon which aconfiguration (a respective number, e.g.) of voltages 4634 or otherlevels 4693 each detectable as a respective node output (fluid sensor4672 or transistor base or gate, e.g.) manifests the indication (phonenumber 2285 or other value 4551, e.g.). See FIGS. 46 and 49.

Also in such variants, operation 384 may be performed by aspecial-purpose response module 5634 implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 4922 having an event-sequencing structure configured torespond to an indication of a communication service via at least thefirst mobile device and a second mobile device having been in progresswhen the second mobile device crossed a WLAN service space boundary byallocating a communication service cost component that depends upon whenthe second mobile device crossed the WLAN service space boundary to theaccount associated with the first mobile device. This can occur, forexample, in a context in which the account associated with device 1000is charged according to what fraction (how many minutes of, e.g.) thecommunication service occurred with device 7815 in “free ride” zone7815. Alternatively or additionally, response module 5634 may include anelectrical or other node set 4932 upon which a configuration (arespective number, e.g.) of voltages 4634 or other levels 4693 eachdetectable as a respective node output (fluid sensor 4672 or transistorbase or gate, e.g.) manifests a utility value 4552 (expressed in minutesor cents, e.g.) of the communication service cost component.

If event-sequencing logic 4910 is implemented in an integrated circuit361, having many thousands or millions of transistors 351, 352 makes itfeasible for a node set 4931 actually to implement special-purposecircuitry 4921 by virtue of bearing code (by manifesting input module5174 as a voltage configuration, e.g.) usable via one or more processors5605 or otherwise invocable (as an FPGA implementation, e.g.). Likewisenode set 4932 may effectively implement special-purpose circuitry 4922(by manifesting response module 5634 as a voltage configuration, e.g.)by virtue of bearing code usable via the processor(s).

In light of teachings herein numerous existing techniques may be appliedfor configuring special purpose circuitry or other structures effectivefor configuring a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as describedherein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,341,469(“Configuration device for configuring FPGA”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,327,117(“Reconfigurable FADEC with flash based FPGA control channel and ASICsensor signal processor for aircraft engine control”); U.S. Pat. No.8,294,396 (“Compact FPGA-based digital motor controller”); U.S. Pat. No.8,225,081 (“Updating programmable logic devices”); U.S. Pat. No.8,205,066 (“Dynamically configured coprocessor for different extendedinstruction set personality specific to application program with sharedmemory storing instructions invisibly dispatched from host processor”);U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,037 (“Data storage device capable of recognizing andcontrolling multiple types of memory chips operating at differentvoltages”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,190,699 (“System and method of multi-pathdata communications”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,166,237 (“Configurable allocationof thread queue resources in an FPGA”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,508(“Intelligent data storage and processing using FPGA devices”); and U.S.Pat. No. 8,069,275 (“Network-based system for configuring a programmablehardware element in a measurement system using hardware configurationprograms generated based on a user specification”).

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 6400, operation 383 may likewise(optionally) be performed by a special-purpose configuration module 5621implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 4891 having anevent-sequencing structure (e.g. one or more integrated circuits 363including an instance of event-sequencing logic 4810, 5610) configuredto obtain a third-party authorization for a device 1750 to presentgeographical WLAN connectivity data. This can occur, for example, in acontext in which device 1750 is a communication device that has beenrooted (by user 177 or by the third party, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, configuration module 5621 may include an electrical orother node set 4881 upon which a configuration (a respective number,e.g.) of voltages 4634 or other levels 4693 each detectable as arespective node output (fluid sensor 4672 or transistor base or gate,e.g.) manifests the third party authorization 4665.

Also in such variants, operation 386 may be performed by aspecial-purpose input module 5173 implemented as transistor-basedcircuitry 4892 configured to obtain a first position estimate of device1750 or operably coupled with transistor-based circuitry 3861 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to obtain one or more positionestimates 4442-4444 approximating a position of device 1750. This canoccur, for example, in a context in which the estimate(s) trigger aselective retrieval or update of a local WLAN connectivity map segment2337. Alternatively or additionally, input module 5173 may include anelectrical or other node set 4882 upon which a configuration (arespective number, e.g.) of voltages 4634 or other levels 4693 eachdetectable as a respective node output (fluid sensor 4672 or transistorbase or gate, e.g.) manifests the position estimate(s).

Also in such variants, operation 387 may be performed by aspecial-purpose decision module 4064 implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 4893 having an event-sequencing structure configured totransmit or otherwise signal a decision whether or not to present apositional indication of WLAN connectivity relative to the firstposition estimate at the rooted communication device or notconditionally, depending upon the third-party authorization. This canoccur, for example, in a context in which such rooting (as contrastedwith firmware configuration or other aspects of original equipmentmanufacture, e.g.) causes such authorization to operate as describedherein (by enabling aftermarket apps blocked by the manufacturer ofdevice 1750, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, decision module 4064may include an electrical or other node set 4883 upon which aconfiguration (a respective number, e.g.) of voltages 4634 or otherlevels 4693 each detectable as a respective node output (fluid sensor4672 or transistor base or gate, e.g.) manifests the decision whether ornot to present the positional indication of WLAN connectivity relativeto the first position estimate at the rooted communication device.

If event-sequencing logic 4810 is implemented in an integrated circuit361, having many thousands or millions of transistors 351, 352 or moremakes it feasible for a node set 4881 actually to implementspecial-purpose circuitry 4891 by virtue of bearing code (by manifestingconfiguration module 5621 as a voltage configuration, e.g.) usable viaone or more processors 5605. Likewise node set 4882 may effectivelyimplement special-purpose circuitry 4922 (by manifesting input module5173 or estimation module 5162 as a voltage configuration, e.g.) byvirtue of bearing code usable via the processor(s). Likewise node set4883 may effectively implement special-purpose circuitry 4893 (bymanifesting decision module 4064 as a voltage configuration, e.g.) byvirtue of bearing code usable via the processor(s) or otherwiseinvocable (as an FPGA implementation, e.g.).

Also in such variants, operation 385 may be performed by aspecial-purpose response module 5632 implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 7192 having an event-sequencing structure configured torespond to an interpersonal communication via device 2750 by authorizinga communication service charge (of cost component 122, e.g.)automatically and conditionally, partly based on a hotspot networkaccess being inadequate in a vicinity of device 2750 and partly based onthe network access authorization temporarily associating device 2750with the account associated with the first mobile device from the userof the first mobile device. This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich response module 5632 performs operation 385 by invoking one ormore decision modules 5611-5614 or configuration modules 5621-5624.Alternatively or additionally, response module 5632 may include anelectrical or other node set 7182 upon which a configuration (arespective number, e.g.) of voltages 4634 or other levels 4693 eachdetectable as a respective node output (fluid sensor 4672 or transistorbase or gate, e.g.) manifests the communication service charge (as costcomponent 122, e.g.).

If event-sequencing logic 7110 is implemented in an integrated circuit361, having millions of transistors 351, 352 or more makes it feasiblefor a node set 7181 actually to implement special-purpose circuitry 7191by virtue of bearing code (by manifesting validation module 5112 as avoltage configuration, e.g.) usable via one or more processors 5605.Likewise node set 7182 may effectively implement special-purposecircuitry 7192 (by manifesting response module 5632 as a voltageconfiguration, e.g.) by virtue of bearing code usable via theprocessor(s) or otherwise invocable (as an FPGA implementation, e.g.).This can occur, for example, in a context in which the one or morecommunications 1961-1963 could not otherwise occur unless the owner(s)of one or more intermediary communication devices 2772, 2782 (accesspoint 1820 or BTS 330, e.g.) facilitating the interpersonalcommunication(s) receives a compensation specific to device 2750 (byuser 177 having to buy a cellular service subscription, e.g.) or to theinterpersonal communication.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 6500, operation 381 may likewise(optionally) be performed by a special-purpose validation module 5112implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 7191 having anevent-sequencing structure (an instance of hardware-implementedevent-sequencing logic on dielectric substrate 307, e.g.) configured toobtain from a user 1501 of “first” mobile device 2760 a network accessauthorization 4666 temporarily associating “second” mobile device 2750with an account 4555 associated with the first mobile device 2760. Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which first mobile device 2760implements event-sequencing logic 7110 and in which one or more suchauthorizations are “temporary” by virtue of including an explicitlydefined duration 4562 (of up to an hour or day or week, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, validation module 5112 may include anelectrical or other node set 7181 upon which a configuration (arespective number, e.g.) of voltages 4634 or other levels 4693 eachdetectable as a respective node output (fluid sensor 4672 or transistorbase or gate, e.g.) manifests the authorization 4666.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 5900, operation 371 may likewise(optionally) be performed by a special-purpose input module 5171implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 3931 having anevent-sequencing structure (an instance of event-sequencing logic 3910in device 1750, e.g.) configured to obtain a preference indication (a“first” or “second” option selected by a user 4101, e.g.) within or froma mobile device 1750 (implementing device 2760, e.g.). Also in suchvariants, operation 374 may be performed by a special-purposetransmission module 5122 implemented as or operably coupled withcircuitry 3932 having an event-sequencing structure configured to signala decision whether or not to trigger a transmission of a broadcast 4361from or about mobile device 1750 as a conditional response to preferenceindication 4351 identifying the “first” option. This can occur, forexample, in a context in which broadcast 4361 states that no subscriberdevice has yet accepted a charge for a multiparty communication(conference call, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, one or moreinformational components 4365 of broadcast 4361 (comprising “awaitingauthorization” or some other indication 4351 of the “first” optionhaving been selected at device 1750, e.g.) may have been received at adevice 1760 that configures the broadcast 4361 for transmission. Also insuch variants, operation 376 may be performed by a special-purposeassignment module 3712 implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry3934 having an event-sequencing structure configured to assign acommunication cost component 122 to an account associated with thecurrently-subscribed mobile device 1750 as a conditional response todecision 4345 (to trigger the multiparty communication as a conditionalresponse to user 4101 having designated the “second” option, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, respective instances of event-sequencinglogic 3910 may reside in each of several devices 1750, 1752, 1756, 1758,1760. This can occur, for example, in a context in which device 1754 isthe first formerly-subscribed mobile device. Also in such variants,operation 378 may be performed by a special-purpose configuration module4082 implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 3933 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to signal the same decision 4345.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 6000, operation 373 may be performed bya special-purpose tagging module 5152 implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 3751 having an event-sequencing structure configured toobtain a message 4370 (call request, e.g.) that includes anidentification 4373 of device 1000. In some contexts, such message mayinclude an indication 4354 that device 1000 is unsubscribed (no longerassociated with a cellular carrier, e.g.). Also in such variants,operation 377 may be performed by a special-purpose validation module5111 implemented as or operably coupled with circuitry 3752 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to obtain an indication 4355 ofthe account 4335 (an identifier of the account 4336 or validauthorization code, e.g.) associated with device 7102. This can occur,for example, in a context in which network 1200 is linked with network1390; in which instances of event-sequencing logic 3710, 4010 reside inserver 1396; in which either of the “first” devices requests server 1396to establish a communication (phone call 1951 or session 1952, e.g.)between them; and in which an instance of medium 4310 resides inevent-sequencing logic 3710. Also in such variants, operation 379 may beperformed by a special-purpose decision module 4063 implemented as oroperably coupled with transistor-based circuitry 3753 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to signal a decision 2221 whetheror not to post a cost component 122 to the account 4335 associated withthe first currently-subscribed mobile device conditionally, partly basedon whether the first formerly-subscribed mobile device had access towireless local area network (WLAN) service and partly based on acommunication between the first formerly-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device. In some contexts, moreover, suchcircuitry 3753 may implement one or more such decisions 2221 in light ofa default or override option 5283 (that user 175 apparently prefers,e.g.) or other criteria described herein (relating to handover, e.g.).

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 6100, operation 372 may be performed bya special-purpose input module 5173 implemented as or operably coupledwith transistor-based circuitry 3861 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to obtain one or more position estimates 4442-4444approximating a past or present position of device 1750 (a communicationdevice 2750 or other device capable of such communication, e.g.). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which input module 5173 merelyadopts a position estimate that it receives from another device, even ifthat estimate is actually that of the other device. (It should be notedthat the phrase “communication device” is never used herein to refer topassenger vehicles or other such devices that may communicate merely asa tertiary function.) Also in such variants, operation 375 may beperformed by a special-purpose validation module 5114 implemented as oroperably coupled with transistor-based circuitry 3862 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to obtain provenance data4451-4455 indicating a protocol 4384 by which device 1750 apparentlyobtained the estimate(s). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich such provenance data comprises a textual label 4431 or similardigital expression that directly identifies the protocol; in which suchdata is deemed by technician 5401 to be sufficiently credible andrelevant to warrant the use or non-use of the estimate(s) in updatingone or more informational models 2301, 2302; and in which such modelswould not otherwise have any mechanism by which to be updated withautomatically curated input. In some contexts, for example, suchprovenance data 4451 may indicate whether or not position estimate 4441was obtained by a satellite GPS protocol. Alternatively or additionally,provenance data 4452 may indicate how many sensor-containing devices(satellites 1293 or towers 3085, e.g.) were used in generating positionestimate 4441 (values less than a threshold integer, such as 3 or 4 or5, being contraindicative of suitability for use in updating map 2330,e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, provenance data 4453 may comprisean explicit indication whether a particular undesirable protocol (cellidentification or dead reckoning, e.g.) was used in generating positionestimate 4441. Alternatively or additionally, provenance data 4454 maycomprise one or more apparently insignificant digits appended to thesignificant digits of position estimate 4441. For example in a contextin which GPS coordinates are expressed as <34° 00.000′N> and <135°00.000′E> (as position estimate 4442, e.g.) it may be inferred that twooccurrences of “00.000” in these coordinates show artificial or coarsepositioning at best, contraindicative of suitability. Alternatively oradditionally, provenance data 4454 may indicate a model number 4411,brand name 4412, serial number, or other device identifier 4415 of a“second” device (in a context in which brand “S” or model “G” or device“2852-698214369T” have been identified by a technician 5401 as suitableor unsuitable, e.g.) that participated in the estimation. Alternativelyor additionally, provenance data 4455 may indicate a supplementarylocation system (a differential global positioning service or wide areaaugmentation system to supplement GPS, e.g.) designated as a positiveindication of sufficiency. Also in such variants, operation 380 may beperformed by a special-purpose decision module 4062 implemented as oroperably coupled with transistor-based circuitry 3861 having anevent-sequencing structure configured to signal a decision 4347 ofwhether or not to update a wireless connectivity map 2330 automaticallyand conditionally, partly based on the first location estimatedescribing the first location of the first mobile device and partlybased on the first provenance data indicating the protocol by which thefirst mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate. Insome variants, moreover, such decision may be conditionally overridden(by a confirmation query protocol or similar criterion 4471 determiningwhether or not technician 5401 wants automatic curation implemented aschanges in WLAN service availability to proceed, without manualverification, e.g.) or enabled (by an installation of app 4483 ontodevice 2750 satisfying a criterion 4472 for establishing that user 177wants device 2750 to participate in ongoing map updates by reportingindications in WLAN service availability, e.g.).

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 3200, operation 28 may be performed byone or more special-purpose initiation modules implemented as oroperably coupled with circuitry 1031 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to establish a first wireless communication channelvia linkage 1771 (e.g. including intermediate devices 1770, 1772) andfrom device 1750 and a second wireless communication channel from device1750 and via device 1776. This can occur, for example in a context inwhich such channels both extend to a remote device 1782. Also in suchvariants, operation 32 may be performed by a special-purpose allocationmodule implemented as circuitry 1141 having an event-sequencingstructure (an arrangement of numerous transistors and electrical nodes921 at decision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.) configured to implementan adjusted target percentage 2293 of user data 2150 being transmittedvia linkage 1771 responsive to data block delivery failures of thesecond wireless communication channel becoming to frequent.

With reference now to flow 7000 of FIG. 70 and to other flows describedabove, in some variants, one or more of operations 7052, 7053, 7056,7059 may be performed in preparation for or in response to or otherwisein conjunction with any of the operations described above.

Operation 7052 describes handing off an interpersonal communication froma cellular base station to a WLAN access point (e.g. configurationmodule 4084 routing one or more calls 1951 or other interpersonalcommunications 1961-1963 via a WLAN access point 1840 when feasible).This can occur, for example, in a context in which device 7802participated in an earlier portion of the communication(s) via basetransceiver station 330 (an initiation of which was made possible bycost allocation protocols described herein motivating a wireless carrierto provide service to a nonsubscriber, e.g.); in which a subscriber'sdevice initiated such communication(s) to device 7802 before device 7802crossed zone boundary 7850, for which initiation the subscriber pays (asa premium service or as a standard monthly subscription feature, e.g.);and in which the latter portion of the communication(s)—after crossingzone boundary 7850—would otherwise have resulted in cellular networkservice being unduly burdened. In some contexts, for example, operation7052 causes a contingent cost component 122 posted to a subscriberaccount (for providing cellular service to a nonsubscriber, e.g.) at aminimum. This can occur, for example, in a context in which the earlierportion of the communication(s)—before device 7802 crossed zone boundary7850—resulted in the subscriber incurring a premium or other contingentcost component 122 as described herein (providing a “free ride” to user178 at the expense of user 175, e.g.) for communicating with anonsubscriber. Alternatively or additionally, event-sequencing logic4010 may be implemented in a node 5300 having a wireless linkage 5364 toa “first” or “second” device 1000.

Operation 7053 describes authorizing a cost component to be posted to auser account conditionally, at least partly based on a portion of awireless communication using WLAN access (e.g. validation module 5113providing an authorization 4395 for cost components 121, 122 to beposted to one or more subscriber accounts 4335, 4336 conditionally, atleast partly based on some of a wireless interpersonal communication1962 being routed through a base transceiver station 330 rather thanthrough switch 4120). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichthe interpersonal communication 1962 comprises a call 1951 that beganwith device 7802 in “free ride” zone 7815 and ended with device 7802 inWLAN zone 7214; in which a handoff occurred pursuant to operation 7052;in which a latter portion of the interpersonal communication 1962 didnot incur a charge to any participant thereof (because the one or moreother participants were in WLAN zone 7114, e.g.); in which an earlierportion of the interpersonal communication 1962 incurred a charge to asubscribing user 175 who participated; and in which BTS 330 would nototherwise have supported that communication (without an authorization4395 from validation module 5113, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,another instance of such authorization 4395 may trigger BTS 330 toaccept a handover (via operation 7056, e.g.) in response to device 7802crossing from “free ride” zone 7815 into WLAN zone 7214.

Operation 7056 describes handing off an interpersonal communication froma WLAN access point to a cellular base station (e.g. configurationmodule 4083 routing one or more teleconferences or other interpersonalcommunications 1961-1963 from a configuration in which one or moredevices 7801, 7821 communicate with network 1200 via WLAN access point1840 to a configuration in which such communication is routed viacellular base transceiver station 330). This can occur, for example, ina context in which user 178 walks toward or across zone boundary 7850(into “free ride” zone 7815, e.g.) during the interpersonalcommunication; in which configuration module 4083 has an accuratecurrent model 2302 estimating a current position of zone boundary 7850accurately; and in which configuration module 4083 responds to asuccession of position estimates 4441-4444 indicative of such movement(predictive of a crossing, e.g.) by initiating such a handoff.Alternatively or additionally, configuration module 4083 may triggersuch a handoff responsive to an indication that user 179 is drivingtoward “free ride” zone 7815 (approaching zone boundary 7850, e.g.).

Operation 7059 describes causing a particular device to indicate some ofa wireless connectivity map that includes automatically curated map data(e.g. map update module 5415 causing one or more devices 1000, 1750 toindicate a segment 2337 of map 2330 after updating model 2302 as anautomatic response to having received one or more position estimates4441-4444 with corresponding service status data 4433 from mobile device2750, 2760 and with provenance data 4451-4455 indicating an adequatesuitability). This can occur, for example, in a context in which model2302 comprises an instance of map 2330 resident in network 5490; inwhich access map server 2300 implements control unit 5410, in whichtechnician 5401 has defined one or more device-implemented adequacycriteria 4471-4473 (relating to precision or accuracy or relevance,e.g.); and in which map 2330 thereby includes wireless connectivity mapdata that is automatically curated.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 3300, operation 24 may be performed by aspecial-purpose registration module implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 1481 having an event-sequencing structure configured toobtain at primary device 2760 an internet protocol address or otheridentifier of device 2760. Also in such variants, operation 30 may beperformed by a special-purpose notification module implemented ascircuitry 1221 having an event-sequencing structure (an arrangement ofnumerous transistors and electrical nodes 925 at decision-indicativevoltage levels, e.g.) configured to cause a primary device 2760 toindicate whether or not device 2760 is within zone 2960. This can occur,for example, in a context in which the “third” device comprises avehicle or mounted device 1530 providing wireless service 1335; in whichthe WLAN communication range comprises region 4165 or zone 2960; inwhich primary device 2760 is not currently engaged in a bidirectionalinterpersonal communication via device 2760; and in which primary device2760 includes a light-emitting diode or other suitable display 445configured to display the Boolean indication. Alternatively oradditionally, in some variants, the third device may comprise a movingvehicle 1510 (instantiated in one or more devices 1000, 1750, 1776 ofnetwork 1700, e.g.) or parked vehicle (comprising device 4160, e.g.)providing Wi-Fi service.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 3400, operation 27 may be performed by aspecial-purpose detection module implemented as or operably coupled withcircuitry 1483 having an event-sequencing structure configured to detectan availability to participate in one or more modes of telephonic dialog1953 as a conditionally response to an indirect Boolean indication 2274whether or not a device 2910 (instantiated in one or more devices 1000,1750, 1780 of network 1700, e.g.) crossed boundaries too rapidly (as adetermination of whether an average or other interval 1423 betweenevents exceeded a threshold, said determination being an inverse ofBoolean indication 2274, e.g.) within time interval 1421. Also in suchvariants, operation 33 may be performed by a special-purposenotification module implemented as circuitry 1482 having anevent-sequencing structure (an arrangement of numerous transistors andelectrical nodes 926 at decision-indicative voltage levels operablycoupled to detection the module, e.g.) configured to signal theavailability to participate in telephonic dialog 1953 in response to asuccessful communication via router 3101. This can occur, for example,in a context in which device 2910 is at position 2349 and in whichrouter 3101 is online (providing wireless service 1331 in zone 2351,e.g.).

In some variants, one or more wireless communication parameters may beadopted by a “first” or “second” mobile device (implementing one or moredevices 1000, 1750, 7102, 7802 described above or as a wearable assembly3810, e.g.) based at least partially on a physical state of the mobiledevice to strengthen, enhance, or improve a communication channelbetween the mobile device and another wireless device, such as a basetransceiver station. Additionally or alternatively, a physical state of(such as a location of or an orientation of) the mobile device may bealtered to strengthen, enhance, or improve a communication channelbetween the mobile device and another device, such as a base transceiverstation 330 (such as orientation of at least one communicating devicemay be altered to strengthen, enhance, or improve a communicationchannel between/among one or more wireless devices). However, claimedsubject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments,implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, a physical state of the mobile device may include aspatial location of the mobile device or an orientation of the mobiledevice. For certain example implementations, a spatial location (such aswhich may be merged with or incorporated into or linked to 3D mappingdata, including those of buildings) may be represented with ageographical position of the mobile device (such as with regard to apoint on the earth) or an elevation of the mobile device (such as withregard to a height above the earth). For certain exampleimplementations, an orientation may be represented with Eulerangles/rotations or pitch/roll/yaw in 3D Euclidean space. However,claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular describedembodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, one or more wireless communication parameters, such asone or more antenna assembly configuration parameters, may include, butare not limited to the following. First, an antenna element set may beselected from among multiple antenna elements of an antenna array.Second, a particular phase or delay may be applied to each antennaelement of a selected set of antenna elements. Third, a particular powermay be applied to each antenna element of a selected set of antennaelements. Fourth, a phased array antenna (such as which may be formedfrom multiple antenna elements comprising or including a single dipole)may include multiple antenna elements that are driven with particularsignal values. For instance, different elements (such as if an elementis covered/blocked), phases/delays, or power (or a combination thereof,etc.) may be applied to input/output connections of a phased arrayantenna (such as to establish or form a beam). Antennas, including butnot limited to, antenna arrays or phased arrays, may comprise or beformed/constructed using meta-materials. Fifth, a frequency of wirelesssignal(s) coupled to/from an antenna may be adjusted. Sixth, a frequencyband and/or wireless communication standard employed may be altered,including but not limited to using a different antenna. However, claimedsubject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments,implementations, examples, etc.

In some embodiments, messages 4370 and other signals 1321-1324,2051-2059, 2430, 2757, 2758, 4430 described may be transmitted (viawireless “linkages” described herein, e.g.), received, propagated,generated, or processed (or a combination thereof, etc.) in accordancewith any one or more of a number of different wireless communicationstandards, channel access methods, frequencies, modulations, etc.Examples of wireless communication standards may include, but are notlimited to, IEEE 802.11 Standards (such as 802.11-1997, 802.11a,802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11-2007, 802.11n, 802.11-2012, 802.11ac, 802.11ad,or a combination thereof, e.g.), WiMAX, AMPS, GSM (such as GPRS), EDGE,UMTS/UTRA (such as UTRA with a type of CDMA or HSPA, e.g.), 3GPP (suchas Evolved HSPA or Long Term Evolution, e.g.), LTE Advanced, Bluetooth®,Near Field Communication (NFC), or some combination thereof. Examples ofchannel access methods may include, but are not limited to, DSSS, FDMA,OFDMA, TDMA, STDMA, SSMA, CDMA, SDMA, some combination thereof, or soforth. Examples of nominal frequencies may include, but are not limitedto, 13-14 MHz, 400 MHz, 800-900 MHz, 1700/1800/1900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2500MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 60 GHz, or a hybrid that includes any one or moreof these. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to anyparticular described embodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, with respect to mobile device experimentation, one ormore of the following options may be applied to determine a suitablecombination of wireless communication parameters. Options may include,but are not limited to, (a) sets of antenna elements (such as differentsets of 4 selected antenna elements from 16 total available antennaelements), (b) different directionalities of beams (such as such asparticular cardinal directions or up—opposite gravitational forces), (c)different beam shapes (such as lengths, widths, perimeters, or acombination thereof, etc.), (d) different signal phases at respectiveantenna elements, (e) different signal delays at respective antennaelements, (f) different power levels, or a hybrid that includes any oneor more of these. Additionally or alternatively, with regard to power, awireless node may use relatively higher power for communication (such astransmitting signals) while using relatively lower power forinvestigation of appropriate wireless communication parameters (such assniffing signals). However, claimed subject matter is not limited to anyparticular described embodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, with respect to mobile device experimentation, themobile device may employ a group of wireless communication parametersthat have been determined via experimentation. Additionally oralternatively, the mobile device may store a group of (such as one ormore suitable combinations) of wireless communication parameters for agiven physical state of the mobile device in an antenna configurationdata structure 4330 (implemented in FPGA 870, e.g.) or send a group ofwireless communication parameters for a given physical state of themobile device to a network-side orchestrator of a data structure.However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particulardescribed embodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, with respect to mobile device experimentation, themobile device may schedule or initiate at least one experimentationround based at least partially on any of the following: (a) in thebackground while other automations progress, (b) at timed intervals orif a certain amount of time elapses, (c) if signal quality drops below acertain level, (d) if a certain amount of movement (such astranslational, rotational, or a combination thereof, etc.) is detected(such as using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) or GPS unit), (e) at aknown or determinable boundary for a physical state entry of an antennaconfiguration data structure 4330 (such as which may include aparameter-to-physical state data structure), (f) if the mobile device isapproaching a known or determinable boundary for a physical state entryof an antenna configuration data structure 4330, (g) predictively (suchas based at least partly on (i) predicting a certain amount of movementis soon to occur, (ii) predicting that a boundary crossing into aphysical state that corresponds to a different physical state entry ofan antenna configuration data structure 4330, or a combination thereof,etc.), or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. However,claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular describedembodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, with respect to mobile device experimentation,experimentation may be constrained responsive to one or more conditionalparameters. By way of example only, parameter options/possibilities tobe tested may be constrained based at least partially on power usage.For instance, the mobile device may intend to enable wirelesscommunication with at least one bases station, but limit power outputfor such wireless communication to a particular power level (such as 100mW). A battery may set limits or establish specified guidelines thatconstrain power usage, including but not limited to constraining powerusage/charge drain over time. Accordingly, an experimentation module maytrade (i) a selection of wireless standard being used or (ii) frequencyor bandwidth of searching, for example, (instead of or in addition totransmit power) with power drain. Moreover, as another example, a powerconstraint may be selectively applied based at least partly on time ofday or predicted time until a battery will next be charged. Forinstance, whether or to what stringency a power constraint is appliedmay depend on a time of day. Accordingly, there may be a greater concernon battery drain earlier in a day as compared to later when rechargingtypically occurs (a typical temporal pattern of charging—such as aroundnoon in a car as well as starting at around midnight with a walloutlet—may also or alternatively be considered). From an alternativeperspective, a battery level may be considered as a condition forascertaining at least one associated antenna assembly configurationparameter (such as if selecting a wireless communication mode—or a groupof wireless communication parameters). However, claimed subject matteris not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations,examples, etc.

In some variants, an antenna configuration data structure may haveseparate entries for, or otherwise denote a difference between, uplinkversus downlink. Appropriate uplink and downlink communicationparameters may differ because multipath may affect the mobile devicemore than a base transceiver station, because different frequencies maybe assigned to uplink versus downlink communications, or a hybrid thatincludes any one or more of these. However, claimed subject matter isnot limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations,examples, etc.

In some variants, with respect to receiving commands or data at themobile device from a base transceiver station, the mobile device maycooperate with the base transceiver station to obtain one or morewireless communication parameters. First, the base transceiver stationmay send to the mobile device or the mobile device may receive from thebase transceiver station one or more wireless communication parametersthat the mobile device may adopt. Second, the base transceiver stationmay send to the mobile device or the mobile device may receive from thebase transceiver station at least some reception data from a perspectiveof the base transceiver station for the mobile device to incorporateinto an automation process ascertaining what wireless communicationparameters are to be implemented. Third, the mobile device and the basetransceiver station may negotiate to determine a direction of a wirelesssignal that enables a reflection of a wireless signal off of an objectbetween the mobile device and the base transceiver station (such as abank shot may be planned and implemented) to facilitate signalpropagation between the mobile device and the base transceiver station.Conducting a signal bank shot may be facilitated by using, for example,a 3D map depicting walls, furniture, terrain, vehicles, people, etc.,and one or more reflection coefficients for proximate objects thatindicate how or to what extent signals of particular frequencies can beexpected to reflect off of an object. Cooperation between two wirelessnodes may encompass, for example, any one or more of the above. However,claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular describedembodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, a data structure may link one or more wirelesscommunication parameters with a given physical state of the mobiledevice. Thus, if the mobile device knows its spatial location (such asin terms of GPS coordinates or placement within a 3D map of a building),a group of wireless communication parameters (such as a set of antennaelements and respective phase delays) to be adopted to communicate witha particular base transceiver station may be ascertained from datastructure. For certain example implementations, an orientation of themobile device may be part of an input physical state to ascertainassociated wireless communication parameters (such as if an orientationis expected to be user-determined autonomously). Alternatively, anorientation of the mobile device may be part of a group of wirelesscommunication parameters that are output based on an e.g. spatiallocation of the mobile device (such as if the mobile device is expectedto indicate to a user a particular mobile-device-orientation offeringenhanced communication—which may be especially pertinent, for instance,if the mobile device is not being held during use, such as when a userhas a wired or wireless headset, or if a user is sitting in a chair thatswivels).

In some variants, an antenna configuration data structure may includeone or more entries having a physical state field that is associatedwith or linked to a field having a group of wireless communicationparameters. However, a data structure may additionally or alternativelyinclude one or more of the following conditions or potential inputs: (a)prediction of an upcoming physical state, (b) a power availability at atransmitter or a receiver (or a power usage constraint), (c) a spatiallocation (or orientation) of the base transceiver station, (d) anavailability of one or more personal auxiliary relay items, (e) a timeof day, (f) other, potentially-interfering wireless traffic that isknown of through self-detection or notification, (g) an expected radioactivity (such as is a data intensive activity, such as media streaming,anticipated?), (h) a device type for the mobile device, (i) one or moreantenna characteristics of the mobile device (such as a feasible beampattern, a polarization sensitivity, a frequency response, an impedance,or a combination thereof, etc.), (j) a frequency band, (k) a signalencoding, (1) one or more environmental factors (such ashumidity—certain frequencies propagate less well than others in higherhumidity (such as 50 GHz signals attenuate in the presence of water),temperature, physical barriers—stationary or moving, approachingdevices, or a combination thereof, etc.), or a hybrid that includes anyone or more of these. However, claimed subject matter is not limited toany particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, a wireless node may develop an antenna configurationdata structure. By way of example only, a wireless node may store orrecord a physical state along with a corresponding signal quality inassociation with each other in a data structure. A physical state maycorrespond to a currently-existing physical state, a recently-testedphysical state, or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. Forcertain example implementations, an updated association may be stored ifthere are certain amounts of change to (i) a physical state or (ii)signal quality or if a certain amount of (iii) time has elapsed, or ahybrid that includes any one or more of these. Additionally oralternatively, for certain example implementations, a wireless node mayreplace or add to an existing entry if a new group of wirelesscommunication parameters are discovered for a given physical state thatprovides superior signal quality. For certain example implementations,an entry of an antenna configuration data structure may include a timestamp representing when a value was determining, the mobile device ordevice type identifier of the mobile device that determined or was asource of a value, or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these.However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particulardescribed embodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, new values for entries may be determined viainterpolation or extrapolation from values associated with otherphysical states. For example, if data is available (such as fromexperimentation in transmit or receive postures) with respect tomultiple tested orientations, it may be predicted how well antennaelements (or other wireless communication parameters) will work at otherorientations. Additionally or alternatively, if data is available withrespect to multiple tested spatial locations (including if a 3D map of aroom is accessible or if know directional capabilities of an antenna),it may be predicted how well antenna elements (or other wirelesscommunication parameters) will perform at other spatial locations. Evenwithout a 3D map, if there are a sufficient number of measurements, thenvalues for other, untested spatial locations may be predicted. Forinstance, if data values are available from several different pathstaken by the mobile device around a room, then the mobile device canpredict data values for other points in the room. For certain exampleimplementations, one or more entries an antenna configuration datastructure may have an indicator that a value is predicted, an indicatorthat a value has a particular level of reliability, or a hybrid thatincludes any one or more of these.

In some variants, network-side actors may acquire, build, create,maintain, share, or disseminate (or a combination thereof, e.g.) atleast a portion of an antenna configuration data structure. Network-sideactors may include, by way of example but not limitation, a cloud-basedactor, an internet actor, a telecommunications service provider, atelecommunications equipment supplier, or a hybrid that includes any oneor more of these. In some variants, network-side actors may acquire datafully or partially from the mobile device. For certain exampleimplementations, the following data may be received from the mobiledevice: at least a portion of a physical state, one or more wirelesscommunication parameters that were employed during the existence of thephysical state, and corresponding signal quality. Additionally oralternatively, for certain example implementations, the following datamay be received from the mobile device: physical state and wirelesscommunication parameters that were employed during the existence of thephysical state, and the following data may be received from acounterpart wireless node (such as the base transceiver station): signalquality based on a network-side reception.

In some variants, a network-side actor may send to the mobile device orthe mobile device may receive from a network-side actor one or moreportions of an antenna configuration data structure so as to download acacheable part thereof. For certain example implementations, a part maybe downloaded, or offered for download, based at least partially on anyone or more of the following: (a) current spatial location; (b) physicalstate; (c) predicted spatial location; (d) predicted physical state; (e)device type, make, model, specifications, or combination thereof, etc.(such as memory capability, at least one user setting, or a specificphysical antenna array traits, or a combination thereof, etc.); (f) aproximity to a boundary of current cached part (such as including, butnot limited to, a consideration of predicted movement toward a boundarythereof); some combination thereof, or a hybrid that includes any one ormore of these.

In some variants, a portable wireless node may account for or addressenvironmental factors or concerns pertinent to wireless communicationat, e.g., EHF. For certain example implementations, to avoidtransmission through a human body, human tissue (such as hand, head, ora combination thereof, e.g.) may be detected using one or more of thefollowing: (a) test beam emanation (such as analyze reflections fromtest beams), (b) a capacitive sensor (such as of a touchscreen), (c) aproximity detector (such as a light sensor), (d) a pressure sensor (suchas determine where finger tips are placed), (e) a sound sensor (such asdetermine where a user's mouth is located), or a hybrid that includesany one or more of these.

In some embodiments, a handheld device 1000 or other portable wirelessnode may interact with another portable wireless node 5300 (configuredas an auxiliary relay item in a shoe or hat or other wearable article,e.g.) via a local linkage 5364 (Bluetooth®, e.g.). For certain exampleimplementations, such auxiliary relay items may be engaged or utilizedfor any one or more of the following reasons: (a) a clearer path toanother wireless node (such as to avoid a head or other human tissue oranother blocking object), (b) more power availability, (c) more ordifferently-arranged antenna elements on the auxiliary relay item, (d) adifferent available frequency or wireless communication standard, or ahybrid that includes any one or more of these. By way of example only, aportable wireless node may roll over to an auxiliary relay item torelocate transmission power away from a head or if throughput dropswhere a user is currently holding a portable wireless node. For certainexample implementations: (1) a portable wireless node may select betweenor among one or more auxiliary relay items (such as may determine whenit is advisable to fallback to an auxiliary relay item using a protocolfor communication between the mobile device and an auxiliary relayitem); (2) an auxiliary relay item may be creating/using/updating anantenna configuration data structure in conjunction with or independentof a portable wireless node; (3) a spatial location of a wearableauxiliary relay item may be determine based at least partly on anattachment site to a body part; (4) a system may automatically determinepresence/absence or location of wearable auxiliary relay items; (5)searches for suitable antenna configuration parameters by an auxiliaryrelay item may be constrained by battery power (such aspower/battery-related technology described herein with respect to aportable wireless node may be applied to an auxiliary relay item, unlesscontext dictates otherwise); (6) if multiple items are linked so as toenable or merely enhance communication or user functions if they areworking together, then one or more of the multiple items may alert (suchas visually, audibly, haptically, or a combination thereof, e.g.) ifthey are separated from each other beyond a threshold distance (such asbeyond a range which enables using them together, such as if a user isdriving away from a house with one of two interacting components); orsome combination thereof.

In some variants, technologies described herein may be directly apparentto a user in one or more ways. For certain example implementations, aportable wireless node may offer a user one or more settings: (a) a sizeof a data structure being cached, (b) a slider or other mechanism toindicate between battery consumption versus signal acquisition orenhancement, (c) a slider or other mechanism to indicate between anacceptable energy radiation level (such as exposure to a body or headportion thereof) versus signal quality or bandwidth throughput, (d)ability to activate/sync/configure an auxiliary relay item (such asinput a type), or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. Forcertain example implementations, a user may indicate a desire to benotified of (such as via at least one setting): (a) a position ororientation option for a portable wireless node that offers improvedcommunication (such as more bandwidth, less power, less interference,lower cost, or a combination thereof, e.g.), (b) an impending signalloss (such as if movement continues along a current direction based onsignal degradation or entries in an antenna configuration datastructure), or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. Forcertain example implementations, notifications may be delivered by aportable wireless node to a user audibly, haptically, visually, or acombination thereof, e.g. for indicating a differentposition/orientation, impending signal loss, or a hybrid that includesany one or more of these.

In some variants, an extremely high frequency (EHF) communication (suchas at 30-300 GHz, such as at 60 GHz in accordance with IEEE 802.1 lad)may be conducted by wireless node that is also capable of utilizingother frequency bands or other wireless communication standards. Tofacilitate such interoperability, a wireless node may determine (i)whether or when to switch to another frequency band or another wirelesscommunication standard or (ii) whether or when to share bandwidthdemands with another frequency band or another wireless communicationstandard. For certain example implementations, other frequency bands mayinclude, but are not limited to, (a) 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 5 GHz, or acombination thereof, e.g.; (b) 700/800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHZ, 1700/1900MHz, 2500 MHz, 2600 MHz, or a combination thereof, e.g.; or a hybridthat includes any one or more of these. For certain exampleimplementations, other wireless communication standards may include, butare not limited to, (a) IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n,802.11ac, or a combination thereof, e.g.; (b) GSM/EDGE, CDMA, UMTS/HSPA,LTE, WiMAX; or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. However,claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular describedembodiments, implementations, examples, e.g.

In some variants, a wireless node 5300 may choose to switch frequency orwireless standard or may choose to share communication across two ormore frequencies or wireless standards. For certain exampleimplementations, one or more of a number of factors may be consideredfor switching versus sharing decisions. First, a wireless node mayswitch if another frequency band or standard can handle currentbandwidth demands while a current one cannot. Second, a wireless nodemay switch if another frequency band or standard has a lower, or atleast no higher, cost. Third, a wireless node may switch if a currentfrequency is experiencing attenuation but another frequency is likelynot to experience the same attenuation (such as if body tissue iscurrently attenuating a 60 GHz signal, but the mobile device can switchto a lower frequency signal below 10 GHz). Fourth, a wireless node mayshare bandwidth demands if a current frequency or standard is notproviding a sufficiently fast or strong connection, but anotherfrequency or standard has a higher cost or insufficient bandwidthcapability to meet current bandwidth demands. Additional or alternativefactors for deciding between switching and sharing may be considered.For certain example implementations, one or more of a number of factorsmay prompt a wireless node to consider sharing or switching. First, asignal quality may drop below a threshold using a current frequency orstandard. Second, no group of wireless communication parameters offeringsuperior performance may be determinable by a wireless node viaexperimentation. Third, no entry in a wireless communicationconfiguration data structure for a current or impending physical state(or set of conditions generally) may be ascertained. Additional oralternative factors for deciding whether to consider switching versussharing may be incorporated into a wireless node's automation. However,claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular describedembodiments, implementations, examples, e.g.

In some variants, a coordinated management system may be implementedwhere multiple wireless nodes occupy a given physical region, with themanagement system coordinating various signal strengths, antennadirections, polarizations, features, or a hybrid that includes any oneor more of these. Coordination may enable a greater number of nodeswithin or a more efficient use of available spectrum within a givenphysical region. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to anyparticular described embodiments, implementations, examples, e.g.

In some variants, a coordinated management system may be constituted ina centralized or a distributed manner. For a centralized coordinatedmanagement system, in accordance with certain example implementations,an access point, the base transceiver station, a mobile switchingcenter, a fixed wireless node, an internet node, a telecom node, or acombination thereof, e.g., may coordinate a number of portable wirelessnodes across a single “cell” or multiple cells. For a distributedcoordinated management system, in accordance with certain exampleimplementations, two or more portable wireless nodes, separately from orin conjunction with at least one network-infrastructure-based node—suchas a fixed wireless node or a telecom node or an internet node, maycoordinate their own individual wireless signals. Coordination may bebased at least partially on their own sensor readings, including but notlimited to received signals, or based at least partially on usingcoordination-specific data received from or exchanged with otherportable wireless nodes or with a fixed wireless nodes, such as the basetransceiver station. For a hybrid coordinated management system, inaccordance with certain example implementations, there may be somedecentralized efforts by portable wireless nodes with overarchingefforts by one or more network-infrastructure-based nodes forcentralized oversight. However, claimed subject matter is not limited toany particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, one or more factors may be separately or jointlyconsidered in conjunction with, or as part of, an analysis to facilitatecoordination. First, available frequency bands (in a given region or toa particular portable wireless node) may be considered. Different bandshave different amounts or levels of absorption or other loss,dispersion, scattering, reflection, or a hybrid that includes any one ormore of these. By way of example only, 60 GHz typically has moreattenuation than 5 GHz. Thus, although 60 GHz generally propagates arelatively shorter distance, it can correspondingly be reused in smallerspaces. At 60 GHz, reflections may enable “bank shots” off of proximateobjects. Two devices may determine to perform a bank shot vianegotiation, or a centralized coordinator may order them to perform one.Furthermore, devices transmitting at higher frequencies may utilizesmaller antenna elements that accommodate their smaller/shorterwavelengths. A physical size of a particular wavelength aperture maygenerally be smaller at higher frequencies. Relatively smaller devicescan therefore implement beamforming at 60 GHz, for example, even if theywould be unable to do so at 1800 MHz, or even 5 GHz. Second,governmental restrictions may be considered. In some contexts statutesor regulations may stipulate or require certain transmission maximums orreception capabilities. By way of example only, a signal strength may belimited at particular frequencies. Third, licensing constraints (such aswith regard to available frequencies or particular uses thereof) may beconsidered. Licensing constraints may flow from a governmental entity,from a corporation to the mobile device or mobile device user (such ascontractual obligations), or a hybrid that includes any one or more ofthese. Fourth, different or particular device types in a given physicalregion that are trying to share spectrum may be considered. For example,“permanent” characteristics may be considered: (a) antenna features(such as beam pattern capabilities, polarization sensitivity, frequencyresponse, impedance, or a combination thereof, e.g.), (b) processingcapability, or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. Asanother example, current settings of a device (such as user-establishedsettings, OS-specified settings, app-determined settings, or acombination thereof, e.g.) may be considered: (a) frequency selectionfrom among multiple possible frequencies, (b) signal encoding selectionfrom among multiple possible encoding schemes, (c) user-imposedrestraints (such as based on cost, power, battery life, or a combinationthereof, e.g.), or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these. Asyet another example, current status levels or conditions of a device maybe considered: (a) signal to noise ratio (SNR), (b) signal strength, (c)power constraints or battery status, (d) available processing bandwidth,(e) location, (f) expected radio activity level (such as whether anactivity is anticipated to be data intensive (e.g. media streaming)),(g) orientation, (h) operating state (such as connected to a Wi-Finetwork or not, access through near field communication (NFC), or acombination thereof, e.g.), or a hybrid that includes any one or more ofthese. Fifth, environmental characteristics may be considered. Forexample, physical barriers (such as walls, trees, billboards, etc.;those obtainable from one or more Google Earth or crowd-sourced 3Dbuilding data or other maps 2330; or a combination thereof; etc.) may beconsidered. Other environmental characteristics may include, but are notlimited to, other approaching devices (such as their locations ortransmitting characteristics), humidity, temperature, or a hybrid thatincludes any one or more of these. However, claimed subject matter isnot limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations,examples, etc.

In some variants, coordination opportunities may include, but are notlimited to, bank shots or beamforming. First, bank shots may be plannedor implemented between at least two wireless nodes to avoid a wall orother obstacle, if a vehicle is detected to be approaching and will betemporarily block a line-of-sight transmission path, or a hybrid thatincludes any one or more of these. Second, beamforming may be achievedwith, by way of example but not limitation, an antenna with multipleelements, a phased array, a meta-material antenna, or a hybrid thatincludes any one or more of these. An aimed beam may reach a target withless relative power (such as in comparison to an omnidirectionaltransmission a beam may reach a further distance (with a narrowerfootprint) using a same power level). Further with respect tocoordination, an omnidirectional transmission may be used if a target orcounterpart wireless node is moving (or if a transmitting node ismoving), but beamforming may be used if a target is stationary (orslowly moving) (or if a transmitting node is not moving). Aiming a beammay be accomplished through “trial and error”. As a first example,multiple beams may be sent out (such as fully or partiallysimultaneously or over time) with different indicators, and an intendedrecipient may be asked for an indicator that they received strongest todetermine a good beam pattern for that recipient. As a second example,two nodes may send out beams until they connect. As a third example, awireless node may sweep beams circularly until a directional angle (suchas azimuth angle) is discovered that makes contact with an intendedwireless target, and a wireless node may then slice up or down until ithones in to find an elevation or a zenith angle. However, claimedsubject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments,implementations, examples, etc.

In some variants, at least one sensor 5302 may sense, produce, orotherwise provide one or more sensor values 4321, 4322 (as a series ofestimates or other digital signal 4430, e.g.). Sensors 5302 may include,by way of example only, a camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, athermometer, a satellite positioning system (SPS) sensor, a barometer, ahumidity sensor, a compass, an altimeter, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, apressure sensor, an oscillation detector, a light sensor, an inertialmeasurement unit (IMU), a tactile sensor, a touch sensor, a flexibilitysensor, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), or a hybrid thatincludes any one or more of these. Values provided by at least onesensor 5302 may include, by way of example but not limitation, animage/video, a sound recording, an acceleration value, a temperature,one or more SPS coordinates, a barometric pressure, a humidity level, acompass direction, an altitude, a gyroscopic value, a magnetic reading,a pressure value, an oscillation value, an ambient light reading,inertial readings, touch detections, finger placements, flex detections,or a hybrid that includes any one or more of these.

In some variants, a user interface 1017 may enable one or more users tointeract with portable wireless node 5300. Interactions between a userand a portable wireless node may relate, by way of example but notlimitation: to touch/tactile/feeling/haptic sensory (such as a user mayshake, rotate, decline/incline, bend, twist, squeeze, or move a portablewireless node which may be detected by a gyroscope, an accelerometer, acompass, a MEMS, or a combination thereof, etc.; a user may press abutton, slide a switch, rotate a knob, etc.; a user may touch atouch-sensitive screen; a device may vibrate; or a hybrid that includesany one or more of these), to sound/hearing/speech sensory (such as auser may speak into a microphone, a device may generate sounds via aspeaker, or a combination thereof, e.g.), to sights/vision sensory (suchas a device may activate one or more lights, modify an image presentedon a display screen, track a user's head/eye/hand movements, or acombination thereof, e.g.), or a hybrid that includes any one or more ofthese.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 3500, operation 26 may be performed by aspecial-purpose notification module implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 931 having an event-sequencing structure configured toobtain via an antenna 1905 (and via a wireless linkage 995 fromconfiguration unit 980, e.g.) configuration data (a VHDL expression 2297or password 2036, e.g.) establishing a security protocol (manifested asan event-sequencing structure in an FPGA 870, 1540, 1870 or as aprotocol implementation code 1088 executable by CPU 4212, e.g.). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which event-sequencing logic 910and media 2010, 2210 reside in device 1750 and in which a scriptinglanguage is used to generate VHDL expression 2297 or in which a passwordgeneration module 986 (resident in a device 1750, 1758 of network 1700,e.g.) is used to generate password 2036. Also in such variants,operation 29 may be performed by a special-purpose interface moduleimplemented as circuitry 1201 having an event-sequencing structureconfigured to receive a wireless signal that includes password 2036.This can occur, for example, in a context in which device 1750 includesevent-sequencing logic 1210 and receives the wireless signal from device2760 (as the “second” device, e.g.). Also in such variants, operation 31may be performed by a special-purpose registration module implemented ascircuitry 1021 having an event-sequencing structure configured to signala decision 2228 whether or not to provide a network access service 2284responsive to whether or not access request data in the wireless signal(password 2036, e.g.) satisfies the security protocol (a watermark orchecksum, e.g.). Also in such variants, operation 35 may be performed bya special-purpose allocation module implemented as circuitry 1022 havingan event-sequencing structure (an arrangement of numerous transistorsand electrical nodes 927 at decision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.)configured to signal a decision whether or not to provide anothernetwork access service 2282, 2283 responsive to whether or not accessrequest data from another mobile device 2870 satisfies another securityprotocol (e.g. controlling access to one or more other services 2282,2283). This can occur, for example, in a context in which allocationmodule 1622 also implements circuitry 1371 having an event-sequencingstructure configured to implement a firewall separating two or morenetwork access services 2282-2284 provided via a single device 1750.

Referring again to the flow variants of FIGS. 32-36 and 59-70 describedabove and in particular to flow 3600, operation 25 may be performed by aspecial-purpose aggregation module implemented as or operably coupledwith circuitry 1372 having an event-sequencing structure configured toobtain an indication 1344 of one or more wireless communication services1331-1335 having been provided within zone 2970. Also in such variants,operation 34 may be performed by a special-purpose response moduleimplemented as circuitry 941 having an event-sequencing structure (anarrangement of numerous transistors and electrical nodes 928 atdecision-indicative voltage levels, e.g.) configured to signal adecision 1403 whether or not to indicate the wireless communicationservice(s) provided within zone 2970 by a device 3160 as a response toan indication 2077 from another device 2910 of the wirelesscommunication service(s) being operative within zone 2970.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment,several portions of the subject matter described herein may beimplemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, inwhole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integratedcircuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or morecomputers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computersystems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors(e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors),as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designingthe circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmwarewould be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light ofthis disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capableof being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, andthat an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described hereinapplies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium usedto actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearingmedium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable typemedium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), aDigital Video Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and atransmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analogcommunication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wiredcommunications link, a wireless communication link (e.g., transmitter,receiver, transmission logic, reception logic, etc.), etc.).

While particular aspects of the present subject matter described hereinhave been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modificationsmay be made without departing from the subject matter described hereinand its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are toencompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as arewithin the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.).

It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intentwill be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of suchrecitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to claims containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C”would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone,C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general sucha construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “Aor B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A”or “B” or “A and B.”

This application may make reference to one or more trademarks, e.g., aword, letter, symbol, or device adopted by one manufacturer or merchantand used to identify and/or distinguish his or her product from those ofothers. Trademark names used herein are set forth in such language thatmakes clear their identity, that distinguishes them from commondescriptive nouns, that have fixed and definite meanings, or, in many ifnot all cases, are accompanied by other specific identification usingterms not covered by trademark. In addition, trademark names used hereinhave meanings that are well-known and defined in the literature, or donot refer to products or compounds for which knowledge of one or moretrade secrets is required in order to divine their meaning. Alltrademarks referenced in this application are the property of theirrespective owners, and the appearance of one or more trademarks in thisapplication does not diminish or otherwise adversely affect the validityof the one or more trademarks. All trademarks, registered orunregistered, that appear in this application are assumed to include aproper trademark symbol, e.g., the circle R or bracketed capitalization(e.g., [trademark name]), even when such trademark symbol does notexplicitly appear next to the trademark. To the extent a trademark isused in a descriptive manner to refer to a product or process, thattrademark should be interpreted to represent the corresponding productor process as of the date of the filing of this patent application.

With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art willappreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed inany order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in asequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may beperformed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may beperformed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may includeoverlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental,preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variantorderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like“responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives aregenerally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictatesotherwise. Also in the numbered clauses below, specific combinations ofaspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that(1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a“component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a”or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, suchdesignations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities;and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may notincorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent”clauses to which they refer or other features described above.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specificexemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies arerepresentative of more general processes and/or devices and/ortechnologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filedherewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

CLAUSES

1. A communication management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

a first transistor-based circuit configured to obtain a first preferenceindication either of a first option or of a second option from a user ofa first currently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associatedwith a first currently-subscribed mobile device, being associated with acellular service subscription still in effect;

a second transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decisionwhether or not to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device, having beenassociated with a cellular service subscription that has ended;

a third transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whetheror not to assign a communication cost component to the accountassociated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device as a firstconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption; and

a fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decisionwhether or not to establish a bidirectional communication as a secondconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption between the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the oneor more communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribedmobile device.

2. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first transistor-based circuit configured to obtain the preferenceindication via the first currently-subscribed mobile device.

3. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set uponwhich a voltage configuration manifests the first preference indicationeither of the first option or of the second option from the user of thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device.

4. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit including an electrical node setupon which a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or notto cause the unidirectional communication as the conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.

5. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the third transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set uponwhich a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not toassign the communication cost component to the account associated withthe first currently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the second option.

6. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit including an electrical node setupon which a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or notto establish the bidirectional communication as the second conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.

7. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device, within which the firsttransistor-based circuit comprises firmware configured to obtain fromthe user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device a networkaccess authorization temporarily associating the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device with the account associated with thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device.

8. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device, including a processor;

the first transistor-based circuit comprising a first medium containinga first instruction set that when executed by the processor obtains thefirst preference indication either of the first option or of the secondoption from the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device;

the second transistor-based circuit comprising a second mediumcontaining a second instruction set that when executed by the processorsignals the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device;

the third transistor-based circuit comprising a third medium containinga third instruction set that when executed by the processor signals thedecision whether or not to assign the communication cost component tothe account associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceas a first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption; and

the fourth transistor-based circuit comprising a fourth mediumcontaining a fourth instruction set that when executed by the processorsignals the decision whether or not to establish the bidirectionalcommunication as the second conditional response to whether or not theuser of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the second option between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device.

9. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device having a nonvolatilememory, the nonvolatile memory containing an antenna configuration datastructure.

10. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device having a field programmablegate array (FPGA), the FPGA implementing a position estimation module.

11. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first formerly-subscribed mobile device, comprising a jailbrokencommunication device.

12. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first formerly-subscribed mobile device, comprising an unlockedcommunication device.

13. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first formerly-subscribed mobile device including the secondtransistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether ornot to cause the unidirectional communication at least between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the first formerly-subscribedmobile device as the conditional response to whether or not the userapparently preferred the first option at the first currently-subscribedmobile device, the unidirectional communication at least between thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device and the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device including a wireless signal from thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device.

14. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first formerly-subscribed mobile device configured to use a firstnominal uplink frequency of at least about 2.4 GHz and of at most about5 GHz; and

the first formerly-subscribed mobile device configured to use a firstnominal downlink frequency of at least about 2.4 GHz and of at mostabout 5 GHz.

15. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first formerly-subscribed mobile device configured to use a nominalfrequency of at least about 900 MHz and of at most about 2.2 GHz inwireless signal reception but inoperable to perform wireless signaltransmission at any nominal frequency between 900 MHz and 2.2 GHz.

16. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device configured to use a firstnominal uplink frequency of at least about 2.4 GHz and of at most about5 GHz.

17. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device configured to use a firstnominal downlink frequency of at least about 59 GHz and of at most about64 GHz; and

the first currently-subscribed mobile device configured to use a secondnominal downlink frequency of at least about 2.4 GHz and of at mostabout 5 GHz.

18. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) chip, the IC chip having a first portion anda second portion and a third portion and a fourth portion, the firstportion of the IC chip being the first transistor-based circuitconfigured to obtain the first preference indication either of the firstoption or of the second option from the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, the second portion of the IC chipbeing the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal thedecision whether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice, the third portion of the IC chip being the thirdtransistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether ornot to assign the communication cost component to the account associatedwith the first currently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the second option, the fourth portionof the IC chip being the fourth transistor-based circuit configured tosignal the decision whether or not to establish the bidirectionalcommunication as the second conditional response to whether or not theuser of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the second option between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device.

19. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a wearable assembly comprising a never-subscribed mobile device, thewearable assembly configured to indicate some of a wireless connectivitymap after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivitymap automatically and conditionally partly based on a first locationestimate describing a first location of the first formerly-subscribedmobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating aprotocol by which the first formerly-subscribed mobile device apparentlyobtained the first location estimate.

20. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit causing a wireless connectivity map toindicate WLAN service apparently provided within a region or not as aconditional response to an indication from the first formerly-subscribedmobile device of the WLAN service being operative or not within theregion.

21. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the first currently-subscribed mobile device, configured to generate anaudible indication of whether or not the first formerly-subscribedmobile device is available to participate in the bidirectionalinterpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indicationwhether or not the first formerly-subscribed mobile device exceeded awireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent timeinterval and partly based on an indication of the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having WLAN service.

22. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit, configured to obtain a first locationestimate describing a first location of the first formerly-subscribedmobile device by receiving the first location estimate from the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device; and

a sixth transistor-based circuit, configured to obtain first provenancedata indicating a protocol by which the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice apparently obtained the first location estimate by receiving thefirst provenance data from the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.

23. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to authorize thecommunication cost component to be posted to the account associated withthe first currently-subscribed mobile device conditionally, responsiveto the first formerly-subscribed mobile device losing access to WLANservice during either the unidirectional communication or thebidirectional communication between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device.

24. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to handoff a wirelesscommunication from a WLAN access point to a cellular base stationconditionally, responsive to the first formerly-subscribed mobile devicelosing access to WLAN service during the wireless communication, thewireless communication comprising either the unidirectionalcommunication or the bidirectional communication between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.

25. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device to indicate some of a wirelessconnectivity map visibly.

26. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of awireless connectivity map to be displayed via the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device after a decision whether or not toupdate the wireless connectivity map automatically and conditionallypartly based on a first location estimate describing a first location ofa second formerly-subscribed mobile device and partly based on firstprovenance data indicating a protocol by which the secondformerly-subscribed mobile device apparently obtained the first locationestimate.

27. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of awireless connectivity map to be displayed, the wireless connectivity mapindicating a service boundary relating to a prospective interpersonalcommunication at least between the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice and the first currently-subscribed mobile device, the prospectiveinterpersonal communication being the bidirectional communicationbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice.

28. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

a second formerly-subscribed mobile device being a wearable assemblyconfigured to present an audible notification of a WLAN serviceboundary, the WLAN service boundary being a component of a wirelessconnectivity map after a decision whether or not to update the wirelessconnectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a firstlocation estimate describing a first location of another mobile deviceand partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by whichthe other mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate.

29. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision        whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data used        at the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.

30. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to compare a data block        delivery failure rate against a threshold used at the first        formerly-subscribed mobile device.

31. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry causing the first formerly-subscribed        mobile device to present some of a wireless connectivity map        comprising a specific positional model that represents both an        isotropic radiator and an anisotropic radiator.

32. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to display via a second        formerly-subscribed mobile device at least some of a wireless        connectivity map depicting a cost-indicative service boundary        relating to a prospective intercommunication, the prospective        intercommunication being the bidirectional communication between        the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more        communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed        mobile device.

33. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to display via the first        formerly-subscribed mobile device at least some of a wireless        connectivity map depicting a cost-indicative service boundary        relating to a prospective intercommunication, the prospective        intercommunication being the bidirectional communication between        the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more        communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed        mobile device.

34. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component        of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module        in a handheld device as an automatic and conditional response to        a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the handheld device,        the handheld device being the first currently-subscribed mobile        device.

35. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component        of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module        in the first currently-subscribed mobile device as an automatic        and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the        first currently-subscribed mobile device.

36. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component        of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module        in the first currently-subscribed mobile device as an automatic        and conditional response to a control component of the wireless        signal.

37. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause first content of        a wireless signal to pass either through a first memory of the        first currently-subscribed mobile device or through a second        memory of the first currently-subscribed mobile device selected        as an automatic and conditional response to whether or not        second content of the wireless signal satisfies a first        criterion.

38. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable        core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data        queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device; and    -   transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision        whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the        first data queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device        in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional        response to an indication of a data volume of the first data        queue crossing a volume threshold.

39. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable        core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data        queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device; and    -   transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision        whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the        first data queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device        in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional        response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the first        currently-subscribed mobile device.

40. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable        core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data        queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device; and    -   transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision        whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the        first data queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device        in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional        response to a charging state of a battery in the first        currently-subscribed mobile device.

41. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to authorize the        communication cost component to be posted to a user account        conditionally, at least partly based on a portion of a wireless        communication using WLAN access, the user account being the        account associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile        device.

42. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to hand off an        interpersonal communication from a WLAN access point to a        cellular base station, a usage of the cellular base station        resulting in the communication cost component to the account        associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device,        the interpersonal communication comprising either the        unidirectional communication or the bidirectional communication        between the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one        or more communication devices that include the first        formerly-subscribed mobile device.

43. The communication management system of any of the above SYSTEMCLAUSES further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including

-   -   transistor-based circuitry configured to cause the first        formerly-subscribed mobile device to indicate some of a wireless        connectivity map that includes automatically curated map data.

All of the patents and other publications referred to above areincorporated herein by reference generally—including those identified inrelation to particular new applications of existing techniques—to theextent not inconsistent herewith (in each respective latest edition,where applicable). While various system, method, article of manufacture,or other embodiments or aspects have been disclosed above, also, othercombinations of embodiments or aspects will be apparent to those skilledin the art in view of the above disclosure. The various embodiments andaspects disclosed above are for purposes of illustration and are notintended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicatedin the final claim set that follows.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication management system comprising: oneor more articles of manufacture including a first transistor-basedcircuit configured to obtain a first preference indication either of afirst option or of a second option from a user of a firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associated with afirst currently-subscribed mobile device, being associated with acellular service subscription still in effect, the firsttransistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which avoltage configuration manifests the first preference indication eitherof the first option or of the second option from the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, the first transistor-based circuitconfigured to obtain the preference indication via the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device; a second transistor-based circuitconfigured to signal a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectionalcommunication as a conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include a firstformerly-subscribed mobile device, having been associated with acellular service subscription that has ended; a third transistor-basedcircuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to assign acommunication cost component to the account associated with the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option; and a fourth transistor-basedcircuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to establish abidirectional communication as a second conditional response to whetheror not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.
 2. Thecommunication management system of claim 1 further comprising: thesecond transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set uponwhich a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not tocause the unidirectional communication as the conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device. 3-4.(canceled)
 5. The communication management system of claim 1 furthercomprising: the first currently-subscribed mobile device, including aprocessor; the first transistor-based circuit comprising a first mediumcontaining a first instruction set that when executed by the processorobtains the first preference indication either of the first option or ofthe second option from the user of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice; the second transistor-based circuit comprising a second mediumcontaining a second instruction set that when executed by the processorsignals the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device; the third transistor-based circuitcomprising a third medium containing a third instruction set that whenexecuted by the processor signals the decision whether or not to assignthe communication cost component to the account associated with thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditional responseto whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice apparently preferred the second option; and the fourthtransistor-based circuit comprising a fourth medium containing a fourthinstruction set that when executed by the processor signals the decisionwhether or not to establish the bidirectional communication as thesecond conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption between the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the oneor more communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribedmobile device. 6-12. (canceled)
 13. The communication management systemof claim 1 further comprising: the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice configured to use a first nominal downlink frequency of at leastabout 59 GHz and of at most about 64 GHz; and the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device configured to use a second nominaldownlink frequency of at least about 2.4 GHz and of at most about 5 GHz.14. The communication management system of claim 1 further comprising: awearable assembly comprising a never-subscribed mobile device, thewearable assembly configured to indicate some of a wireless connectivitymap after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivitymap automatically and conditionally partly based on a first locationestimate describing a first location of the first formerly-subscribedmobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating aprotocol by which the first formerly-subscribed mobile device apparentlyobtained the first location estimate. 15-20. (canceled)
 21. Thecommunication management system of claim 1, further comprising: a fifthtransistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of a wirelessconnectivity map to be displayed, the wireless connectivity mapindicating a service boundary relating to a prospective interpersonalcommunication at least between the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice and the first currently-subscribed mobile device, the prospectiveinterpersonal communication being the bidirectional communicationbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice.
 22. The communication management system of claim 1, furthercomprising: a second formerly-subscribed mobile device being a wearableassembly configured to present an audible notification of a WLAN serviceboundary, the WLAN service boundary being a component of a wirelessconnectivity map after a decision whether or not to update the wirelessconnectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a firstlocation estimate describing a first location of another mobile deviceand partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by whichthe other mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate.23-25. (canceled)
 26. The communication management system of claim 1further comprising: the second transistor-based circuit configured tosignal the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andthe one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including transistor-basedcircuitry configured to display via the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice at least some of a wireless connectivity map depicting acost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospectiveintercommunication, the prospective intercommunication being thebidirectional communication between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device. 27-32. (canceled)
 33. Thecommunication management system of claim 1 further comprising: thesecond transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decisionwhether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including transistor-based circuitry configured to causethe first formerly-subscribed mobile device to indicate some of awireless connectivity map that includes automatically curated map data.34. A communication management system comprising: one or more articlesof manufacture including a first transistor-based circuit configured toobtain a first preference indication either of a first option or of asecond option from a user of a first currently-subscribed mobile device,an account being associated with a first currently-subscribed mobiledevice, being associated with a cellular service subscription still ineffect; a second transistor-based circuit configured to signal adecision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication as aconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and one or morecommunication devices that include a first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice, having been associated with a cellular service subscription thathas ended; a third transistor-based circuit configured to signal adecision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device asa first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption; and a fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal adecision whether or not to establish a bidirectional communication as asecond conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption between the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the oneor more communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribedmobile device. 35-36. (canceled)
 37. The communication management systemof claim 34 further comprising: the second transistor-based circuitincluding an electrical node set upon which a voltage configurationmanifests the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device. 38-40. (canceled)
 41. Thecommunication management system of claim 34 further comprising: thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device, including a processor; thefirst transistor-based circuit comprising a first medium containing afirst instruction set that when executed by the processor obtains thefirst preference indication either of the first option or of the secondoption from the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device;the second transistor-based circuit comprising a second mediumcontaining a second instruction set that when executed by the processorsignals the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device; the third transistor-based circuitcomprising a third medium containing a third instruction set that whenexecuted by the processor signals the decision whether or not to assignthe communication cost component to the account associated with thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device as a first conditional responseto whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice apparently preferred the second option; and the fourthtransistor-based circuit comprising a fourth medium containing a fourthinstruction set that when executed by the processor signals the decisionwhether or not to establish the bidirectional communication as thesecond conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption between the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the oneor more communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribedmobile device. 42-51. (canceled)
 52. The communication management systemof claim 34 further comprising: an integrated circuit (IC) chip, the ICchip having a first portion and a second portion and a third portion anda fourth portion, the first portion of the IC chip being the firsttransistor-based circuit configured to obtain the first preferenceindication either of the first option or of the second option from theuser of the first currently-subscribed mobile device, the second portionof the IC chip being the second transistor-based circuit configured tosignal the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andone or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device, the third portion of the IC chipbeing the third transistor-based circuit configured to signal thedecision whether or not to assign the communication cost component tothe account associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceas a first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption, the fourth portion of the IC chip being the fourthtransistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether ornot to establish the bidirectional communication as the secondconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption between the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the oneor more communication devices that include the first formerly-subscribedmobile device.
 53. The communication management system of claim 34further comprising: a wearable assembly comprising a never-subscribedmobile device, the wearable assembly configured to indicate some of awireless connectivity map after a decision whether or not to update thewireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally partly basedon a first location estimate describing a first location of the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and partly based on first provenancedata indicating a protocol by which the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice apparently obtained the first location estimate.
 54. Thecommunication management system of claim 34 further comprising: a fifthtransistor-based circuit causing a wireless connectivity map to indicateWLAN service apparently provided within a region or not as a conditionalresponse to an indication from the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice of the WLAN service being operative or not within the region. 55.The communication management system of claim 34 further comprising: thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device, configured to generate anaudible indication of whether or not the first formerly-subscribedmobile device is available to participate in the bidirectionalinterpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indicationwhether or not the first formerly-subscribed mobile device exceeded awireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent timeinterval and partly based on an indication of the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having WLAN service.
 56. Thecommunication management system of claim 34, further comprising: a fifthtransistor-based circuit, configured to obtain a first location estimatedescribing a first location of the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice by receiving the first location estimate from the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device; and a sixth transistor-based circuit,configured to obtain first provenance data indicating a protocol bywhich the first formerly-subscribed mobile device apparently obtainedthe first location estimate by receiving the first provenance data fromthe first formerly-subscribed mobile device.
 57. The communicationmanagement system of claim 34 further comprising: a fifthtransistor-based circuit configured to authorize the communication costcomponent to be posted to the account associated with the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device conditionally, responsive to thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device losing access to WLAN serviceduring either the unidirectional communication or the bidirectionalcommunication between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andthe one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device.
 58. The communication managementsystem of claim 34 further comprising: a fifth transistor-based circuitconfigured to handoff a wireless communication from a WLAN access pointto a cellular base station conditionally, responsive to the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device losing access to WLAN service duringthe wireless communication, the wireless communication comprising eitherthe unidirectional communication or the bidirectional communicationbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice.
 59. (canceled)
 60. The communication management system of claim34, further comprising: a fifth transistor-based circuit configured tocause at least some of a wireless connectivity map to be displayed viathe first formerly-subscribed mobile device after a decision whether ornot to update the wireless connectivity map automatically andconditionally partly based on a first location estimate describing afirst location of a second formerly-subscribed mobile device and partlybased on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the secondformerly-subscribed mobile device apparently obtained the first locationestimate.
 61. The communication management system of claim 34, furthercomprising: a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause atleast some of a wireless connectivity map to be displayed, the wirelessconnectivity map indicating a service boundary relating to a prospectiveinterpersonal communication at least between the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device and the first currently-subscribedmobile device, the prospective interpersonal communication being thebidirectional communication between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device.
 62. The communicationmanagement system of claim 34, further comprising: a secondformerly-subscribed mobile device being a wearable assembly configuredto present an audible notification of a WLAN service boundary, the WLANservice boundary being a component of a wireless connectivity map aftera decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivity mapautomatically and conditionally partly based on a first locationestimate describing a first location of another mobile device and partlybased on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the othermobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate. 63-65.(canceled)
 66. The communication management system of claim 34 furthercomprising: the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal thedecision whether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including transistor-based circuitry configured todisplay via a second formerly-subscribed mobile device at least some ofa wireless connectivity map depicting a cost-indicative service boundaryrelating to a prospective intercommunication, the prospectiveintercommunication being the bidirectional communication between thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice. 67-70. (canceled)
 71. The communication management system ofclaim 34 further comprising: the second transistor-based circuitconfigured to signal the decision whether or not to cause theunidirectional communication as the conditional response to whether ornot the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the first option between the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice and the one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including transistor-basedcircuitry configured to cause first content of a wireless signal to passeither through a first memory of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice or through a second memory of the first currently-subscribedmobile device selected as an automatic and conditional response towhether or not second content of the wireless signal satisfies a firstcriterion. 72-73. (canceled)
 74. The communication management system ofclaim 34 further comprising: the second transistor-based circuitconfigured to signal the decision whether or not to cause theunidirectional communication as the conditional response to whether ornot the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the first option between the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice and the one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including transistor-basedcircuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first coreoperating mode to draw from a first data queue of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device; and transistor-based circuitryconfigured to signal a decision whether or not to cause the configurablecore to draw from the first data queue of the first currently-subscribedmobile device in a second core operating mode as an automatic andconditional response to a charging state of a battery in the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device.
 75. The communication managementsystem of claim 34 further comprising: the second transistor-basedcircuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to cause theunidirectional communication as the conditional response to whether ornot the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the first option between the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice and the one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including transistor-basedcircuitry configured to authorize the communication cost component to beposted to a user account conditionally, at least partly based on aportion of a wireless communication using WLAN access, the user accountbeing the account associated with the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice.
 76. The communication management system of claim 34 furthercomprising: the second transistor-based circuit configured to signal thedecision whether or not to cause the unidirectional communication as theconditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the first optionbetween the first currently-subscribed mobile device and the one or morecommunication devices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice having been associated with the cellular service subscriptionthat has ended including transistor-based circuitry configured to handoff an interpersonal communication from a WLAN access point to acellular base station, a usage of the cellular base station resulting inthe communication cost component to the account associated with thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device, the interpersonalcommunication comprising either the unidirectional communication or thebidirectional communication between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device.
 77. The communicationmanagement system of claim 34 further comprising: the secondtransistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether ornot to cause the unidirectional communication as the conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device havingbeen associated with the cellular service subscription that has endedincluding transistor-based circuitry configured to cause the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device to indicate some of a wirelessconnectivity map that includes automatically curated map data.
 78. Acommunication management system comprising: one or more articles ofmanufacture including means for obtaining a first preference indicationeither of a first option or of a second option from a user of a firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associated with afirst currently-subscribed mobile device; means for signaling a decisionwhether or not to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device; means forsignaling a decision whether or not to assign a communication costcomponent to the account associated with the first currently-subscribedmobile device as a first conditional response to whether or not the userof the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thesecond option; and means for signaling a decision whether or not toestablish a bidirectional communication as a second conditional responseto whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice apparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device. 79-81.(canceled)
 82. The communication management system of claim 78 furthercomprising: the means for signaling the decision whether or not to causethe unidirectional communication as the conditional response to whetheror not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device havingbeen associated with the cellular service subscription that has endedincluding means for causing a display via a second formerly-subscribedmobile device of at least some of a wireless connectivity map depictinga cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospectiveintercommunication, the prospective intercommunication being thebidirectional communication between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device. 83-93. (canceled)
 94. Acommunication management method comprising: obtaining a first preferenceindication either of a first option or of a second option from a user ofa first currently-subscribed mobile device, an account being associatedwith a first currently-subscribed mobile device; invokingtransistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether ornot to cause a unidirectional communication as a conditional response towhether or not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and one or more communication devicesthat include a first formerly-subscribed mobile device; signaling adecision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to theaccount associated with the first currently-subscribed mobile device asa first conditional response to whether or not the user of the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred the secondoption; and signaling a decision whether or not to establish abidirectional communication as a second conditional response to whetheror not the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile deviceapparently preferred the second option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device.95-103. (canceled)
 104. The communication management method of claim 94further comprising: the invoking transistor-based circuitry configuredto signal the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andthe one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including causing aconfigurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a firstdata queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device; andsignaling a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core todraw from the first data queue of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditionalresponse to an indication of a data volume of the first data queuecrossing a volume threshold. 105-111. (canceled)
 112. The communicationmanagement system of claim 1 further comprising: the secondtransistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether ornot to cause the unidirectional communication as the conditionalresponse to whether or not the user of the first currently-subscribedmobile device apparently preferred the first option between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device havingbeen associated with the cellular service subscription that has endedincluding transistor-based circuitry configured to display via the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device at least some of a wirelessconnectivity map depicting a cost-indicative service boundary relatingto a prospective intercommunication, the prospective intercommunicationbeing the bidirectional communication between the firstcurrently-subscribed mobile device and the one or more communicationdevices that include the first formerly-subscribed mobile device, thewireless connectivity map including automatically curated map data andcomprising a specific positional model that represents both an isotropicradiator and an anisotropic radiator.
 113. The communication managementsystem of claim 34 further comprising: the second transistor-basedcircuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to cause theunidirectional communication as the conditional response to whether ornot the user of the first currently-subscribed mobile device apparentlypreferred the first option between the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice and the one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including transistor-basedcircuitry configured to display via the first formerly-subscribed mobiledevice at least some of a wireless connectivity map depicting acost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospectiveintercommunication, the prospective intercommunication being thebidirectional communication between the first currently-subscribedmobile device and the one or more communication devices that include thefirst formerly-subscribed mobile device, the wireless connectivity mapincluding automatically curated map data and comprising a specificpositional model that represents both an isotropic radiator and ananisotropic radiator.
 114. The communication management system of claim34 further comprising: the second transistor-based circuit configured tosignal the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectionalcommunication as the conditional response to whether or not the user ofthe first currently-subscribed mobile device apparently preferred thefirst option between the first currently-subscribed mobile device andthe one or more communication devices that include the firstformerly-subscribed mobile device having been associated with thecellular service subscription that has ended including transistor-basedcircuitry configured to cause a data component of a wireless signal tobe processed by a special-purpose module in a handheld device as anautomatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery inthe first currently-subscribed mobile device and to a thermal state of atemperature sensor in the handheld device, the handheld device being thefirst currently-subscribed mobile device; transistor-based circuitryconfigured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating modeto draw from a first data queue of the first currently-subscribed mobiledevice; and transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decisionwhether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the firstdata queue of the first currently-subscribed mobile device in a secondcore operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to anindication of a data volume of the first data queue crossing a volumethreshold.